


Secrecy

by WizardlyWaffles



Series: Kingdomtalia AU [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Fluff, Kings & Queens, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-10 09:55:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 35,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5581357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizardlyWaffles/pseuds/WizardlyWaffles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When King Roma is on his deathbed and the Omega Prince Feliciano refuses to wed any of the suitors sent from the neighboring kingdoms, he threatens Prince Feliciano either to chose an eligible Alpha from their kingdom, or have it chosen for him.<br/>When Feliciano meets and falls in love with an Alpha blacksmith who just moved into the kingdom that doesn't want to be involved in the selection of a new Alpha king, Feliciano vows to keep his title of royalty a secret. How long can a secret be kept hidden from Ludwig before it's too late?</p><p>Medieval Omegaverse Au</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The fall

Disappointment. It was written in their eyes. It was evident in the king’s voice. But that wasn’t going to change a thing. Feliciano dismissed another suitor with a wave of his hand, watched as their face sunk and turned away, never to be seen again. “Feliciano, this is getting ridiculous. We’ve had twelve fine young men walk in here only for you to turn them down without a shred of consideration!”

“That guy had a jam stain on his coat” “Feliciano!” He didn’t even flinch at his grandfather’s tone; he even put up a show of crossing his legs and yawning exaggeratedly.

Today, like most days these past few weeks, was selection day. The day where the kingdom’s eligible Alphas showed up on the palace steps in a long row in front of Feliciano. They were all dressed to impress and Feliciano didn’t approve of it. They all looked so tough, like there was a pole stuck up their ass.

All of them had one goal: to claim and to become king; there was nothing to do with love. To think he had to choose to marry one, to bear children with, to spend the rest of his life with! It was unthinkable! Feliciano didn’t even feel ready to marry yet. However, the time was drawing closer and King Roma was on the edge of his toes. With Feliciano’s brother abroad ruling another kingdom, somebody had to maintain the palace and take on the royal duties as a king. However, the Vargas brothers were Omega born. By law, they were required only to assist an Alpha in ruling. Which brought Feliciano here again; it just wasn’t fair.

“Your highness!” The sudden, shrill voice of their squire made the both of them jump in fear “We have received a telegram from the neighbouring kingdom! Shall I proceed to read it to you?” King Roma grits his teeth and groaned. “You have impeccable timing, Yao. Read it at once” Feliciano shuffled in his chair anxiously, usually when a telegram from another kingdom came in, it usually meant bad news.

“The kingdom of the Baltics regrets to inform you that it can no longer provide any more Alphas for assessment. Ah…they suggested if you were to postpone the selection period for another few years, more eligible Alphas will come of age to be assessed-“

“But we cannot wait a few more years! This kingdom needs to crown a king and needs to do so immediately” King Roma snapped, thumping his cane on the ground in protest, “Feliciano, you are trying my patience. We have no choice….I had wanted to avoid scanning our own kingdom…Squire! Alert the townsfolk! All Alphas above the age of 18 must report to the palace tomorrow morning for assessment!” Yao gasped in horror, dropping the letter from his hands. “But your highness! It’s against the law to pick from our own kingd-“

“Desperate times call for desperate measures. My time is coming closer, I need to see my heir married before I die” he spoke hoarsely, he gave a sharp look to Feliciano, “Feli…you will choose an Alpha from this kingdom. If you don’t, I will.”

Feliciano felt the air leave his lungs and his face went paler than milk. There was a brief moment where their eyes were locked; Feliciano could have sworn he had seen regret in the king’s eyes. They didn’t stay on each other for very long; Feliciano tore his gaze and sprinted out the palace, running faster than his legs could take him out the courtyard and through the town.

The kingdom was considered a run-the-mill place. There were no big fancy cities, just the country side and the ocean. The palace was connected with a small country village. The stairs leading to the palace seemed to grow dustier as Feliciano descended down the long staircase leading to the small village below. This place was where Feliciano grew up; the one place he could be himself. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence to see chickens and other farm animals wandering on the dirt trail. It was unusual however, to see an upperclassman from the palace speeding down the stairs crying for dear life; a prince of that.

At lightning speed, the villagers in their ragged clothes bowed to Feliciano. “Prince Feliciano! Ah…your grace? Why are you crying-HEY WHERE ARE YOU GOING? COME BACK!” Feliciano sped past everyone, not even caring as his fancy clothes grew dirtier from the cloud of dust he produced from his feet. While he considered himself to be nimble as a rabbit, he was not the most coordinated omega in the kingdom. His foot landed mid run on a patch of straw, which tripped him up and twisted his leg in an awkward position. The force of the movement caused him to slide across the dirt road and go to a complete stop in front of somebody unloading a wagon full of metal.

“argh….merda….” Feliciano groaned. His whole face stung from the graze made against the rough ground; his clothes were tattered and ruined now. It seems the man had caught sight of him very quickly, because before Feliciano could blink there was a pair of feet in front of his face. “Oh! Are you okay? Your ankle…I will get you some bandages immediately!”

When the air finally returned to his lungs, it was filled with an abnormal sensation, one he had never felt in such a long time. The feeling….how could Feliciano describe it? It was like an unusual burning sensation that tingled through his body. It made his knees go weak and his body quiver slightly. He could feel his cheeks heating up in suddenly, like he was standing next to an open fire. His head started to grow dizzy; Feliciano could only assume it was from the pain in his ankle.

It wasn’t his heat, Feliciano had decided, it was far too early. What could have caused him to feel such a strange feeling? Feliciano shakily looked up at the person now placing a flask in his hands, and suddenly, the world became much different from the one he had known before.

The man, now crouched at eye level, was clearly an Alpha. No Omega could have such a well built, strong body. The man was of a large build, with a strong jawline, blonde hair scraped back and piercing icy blue eyes, staring back at Feliciano curiously. Judging by the sudden pink invading the man’s cheeks, it seems he too had the strange reaction Feliciano had. “A-Ah…I’m going to take off your boot to dress it now? Is that okay? Wait! I will carry you inside. It would be unsanitary to dress your wound here….” The man stuttered bashfully. Feliciano barely had time to react before he was picked up and taken inside an empty looking office. Did this man even know who he was?!

The building Feliciano was carried inside was filthier than the entirety of the village, trash included. There were holes in the straw roof, cracks in the wall, a large stone chimney that took up most of the wall and to complete it all: a makeshift carpet of straw and dust littering the floor. “…Perhaps I should have dressed you outside…I’m sorry for not having a cleaner area to help you in. I’ve just moved into this village and was unpacking my tools until you came along. Upperclassman I assume?” the man rumbled suddenly, pulling out a small toolbox and pulling out some dirty bandages.

Feliciano could only nod in awe as the man pulled off his boot and his sock, not even acknowledging the kingdom’s emblem on the zipper of his boot. “I’ve heard the prince of this kingdom is searching for a suitor to rule with” He mumbled, taking Feliciano’s damaged ankle and tightly wrapping the bandage around it, “I must have come at a bad time then! I’m only here to continue my work as a blacksmith…the king required my services to supply the knight’s cabinet”

Finally, Feliciano found his voice through the throbbing of his heart against his chest. “Aha, s-so I’ve heard. Gosh, yeah, that prince…he sure was dashing! I got rejected big time…Hey…I forgot to ask….what’s your name?” Feliciano asked quickly, it came out more high pitched than he had intended it to be. “Oh yes, how rude of me, my name is Ludwig. Ludwig Beilschmidt” He replied quickly, “What about you?”

Feliciano bit his tongue and started to panic. If he told Ludwig he were the prince, he would probably attempt to claim him on the spot to grant him immediate access to being king. The thought made Feliciano shudder in both fear…and excitement? No! He wasn’t going to think of Ludwig’s strong muscles working against his fair skin. Those big rough hands running through his hair….No!

“M-my name is F-Feliciano….” He choked out. Ludwig’s eyebrows rose in curiosity and he leaned in intently. “An Upperclassman named Feliciano….you aren’t by any chance…the prince are you?” he asked, his voice grew more intent on the word ‘prince’. Oh no. Feliciano started to sweat as he readjusted his collar. “Aha…no, no! I already told you my name! My name is Feli. Ciano is my last name!” He lied on the spot, his brow forming beads of sweat at the thought of Ludwig not believing him. He looked pretty convinced however, pulling away a little.

“Ah. What a pretty name. Forgein names always seem to sound more interesting…” Ludwig mused, pinning the bandage “Ah! Forget I said anything! I’m a new resident, I don’t know much about this kingdom…” Feliciano’s heart fluttered at the complement and he gave a little smile. “So…about the prince…are you going to the palace to try and get chosen?” Feliciano asked quickly. Ludwig blinked at him weirdly and laughed. “Ahaha, a big scary Alpha like me? Nein, I’m far too busy with my black smith duties now that I have a whole army to supply for. I haven’t the time” He replied, pulling his hands away from Feliciano’s foot, “There. All done, try walking on it”.

Feliciano nodded and shakily stood up, taking a few small steps and sighing in relief at the lack of pain. “You are a life saver, Luddy!” He cried excitedly, clapping his hands together and giving a little twirl in the straw. “L-Luddy?!” “Uh, yeah! Our kingdom…we call each other cute nicknames…so nobody has to worry about writing long names” Feliciano lied once again. Ludwig looked so confused, but just shrugged his shoulders in response. “Well…who am I to question a foreign territory’s rules…well then Feli, if you can walk now…I’m afraid I have to continue unpacking…my shop will be open by tomorrow evening, perhaps you can pop by sometime?”

Feliciano nodded eagerly, giving Ludwig a tight hug. “Si! I will! Thank you for helping me, Luddy!” He cried excitedly. Ludiwg looked taken aback by the sudden hug, but hugged him back awkwardly, giving his back a couple of pats. “Ja…I look forward to it, Feli…” he murmured. They stayed in each other’s embrace for a long time, possibly much longer than necessary until Feliciano finally pulled away. By the time he pulled away, he could see Ludwig’s flushed face, looking down at Feliciano with softened eyes filled with a hidden desire. “Well then, I’ll take my leave now. Good bye!” Feliciano cried, dashing out the door in a skip. Ludwig waved him away, sighing sadly as he went.

He didn’t believe in such things. But could this have been love at first sight that always appeared in his childhood stories?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a lot longer than I had intended it to be. Ah well. Be warned! There's some mild Gerita smut in here!

Feliciano didn’t return to the palace; not after sprinting out like he did. He needed to be alone, he needed to feel alive, the walls he found so commonly blocking his view. The village stretched far and the buildings grew lesser in concentration. Very soon, Feliciano found himself at the very end of the town: a small barn with the knight’s horses and a large wooden door. Beyond that gate, there was a continuously stretching forest that leads to the ocean, if you were willing to travel the way there.

Feliciano peered up anxiously at the guard posts above the gate. Good, it was still evening; the guards only came at night to close the gate. Beside the gate, Feliciano eyed the barn stable, filled with the kingdom’s strongest horses used for battle. He bit his lip and started to walk over fleetly to the closest horse tied to the edge of the shed, with a white coat and a black mane and tail. “Bella Ciao…” Feliciano whispered to the mare, smiling as it snorted in response.

She was built for speed! Or so King Roma said. She was a gift from the Germanic kingdom upon arrival with their Alphas to be assessed two months ago. Feliciano rolled his eyes as he pulled off the saddle hanging from the stable door. Now that Feliciano thought about it, Bella must have been an early wedding present to try and swoon him over their unfit Alphas. Ridiculous; but he would admit she was the best gift he had received in a while. Bella was Feliciano’s best friend, she was fun to ride around the village, to plat her mane with flowers and even ride her to the ocean shore, she was Feliciano’s personal favourite animal in the whole kingdom. Once the saddle was firmly placed on Bella’s back and the reins were prepared, Feliciano put his foot in the stirrup and hauled himself over her back, landing firmly and leading her out the stable.

Feliciano abruptly stopped Bella when he saw a wagon in the middle of the clearing, being led by an old mule with a hunched back. The driver of the wagon halted and turned over to see Feliciano staring back at him with wide eyes.

It was Ludwig! He was dressed with a thick green cloak, a dull lantern by his side swinging next to the reins. “Oh! Hallo, Feli! What brings you here at this time of the evening? It’s dark out and it’s dangerous to be out without a lantern” Ludwig spoke, looking to Feliciano’s lack of light. Feliciano gave a nasal snort and led Bella next to his wagon. “And what are you doing, leading a wagon with such an old mule into the forest without a weapon? The gates will close when the sun goes down” Feliciano replied cheekily, tapping his foot against the saddle lightly where a small sword hung in its sheath. Ludwig snapped the reins, grunting as the wheels of the wagon started to turn slowly and bumpily. “I’m not without a weapon” He started, reaching behind him and pulling a bow and quiver, “And I’m going to hunt something to cook tonight”

Bella started moving at a slow pace, bobbing Feliciano up and down in her pace. “I see. Have you considered buying from the local market instead? Their meat is fresher and the animals here are too gamy! The market has the best fish and-“ Ludwig gave an awkward look and turned away. “I uh…I’m not doing so well in terms of money…” He spoke quietly as the pair walked through the gates, “My workshop is also my home, devoid of a bed, this mule is dying and nobody has come in for sword sharpening yet…if things don’t start looking optimistic soon, I may have to take my business into a smaller town” Feliciano felt a stabbing in his heart at this news. “Hey now! Don’t think like that! This kingdom is supposed to be optimistic and fun! A sad face like that won’t blend in well. I’m sure, come tomorrow, someone will need your help with their sword!” Feliciano replied cheerily, “I might need your services actually…”

Ludwig looked back at him with widened eyes at this news. “What? My service? But you’re an upperclassman! Shouldn’t you go to somewhere more…adequate?” Feliciano laughed a little as his saddle bobbed and the wheels of the wagon continued to emit crusty sounds of dirt and stone crumbling underneath the wheels. “Now why would I do that? Nah, think of it as a payback for helping me the other day! I never did repay you for that deed!” Feliciano laughed and shook his head, “Besides…I like having you here, Luddy. It’s fun to talk to you”

Ludwig’s face visibly started to flush in the dull lamplight. He seemed to dismiss it by clearing his throat and shuffling in his seat. “W-what are you even doing here anyway? You never did tell me why you’re travelling through the forest. At night. Alone without a light, don’t you know how dangerous that is?” Ludwig changed the subject quickly, pulling the reins of his mule to a complete stop against an oak tree. “O-oh. Well…I just like to escape from things is all….” Feliciano replied shakily, “Do you ever get tired of the same place? Same faces? I just like to travel to the woods sometimes to escape it, you know?” As he finished his sentence, he stopped Bella next to a tree close by and tied her reins against a branch, pulling out his little sword.

Ludwig turned and slung his quiver around his shoulder and pulled out his bow, when he turned around, he gave Feliciano a puzzling look. “Ah…you’re not hunting with me, are you?” “Si! I want to help!” Ludwig shrugged his shoulders and started to wade through the shrub off the path marked with dirt, travelling far but not far enough to lose sight of the lamplight’s glow. All the while Feliciano bounced off next to him, his sword pressed closely to his chest. “Hey Luddy, are you good at archery?” Feliciano asked loudly.

“Shh!” Ludwig hissed, pressed a firm hand against Feliciano’s chest, then recoiling flustered, he gestured Feliciano to crouch low to the ground with him and pointed through the bushes. If it hadn’t of been for Ludwig’s finger pointing through the trees, Feliciano would have not spotted the large rabbit cleaning its face on a log and sniffing around. “Oh! A rabbit!” “Shhh! Be quiet. I need to shoot it. Don’t make any sudden movements…” Ludwig murmured deeply, positioning his bow in front of him and setting an arrow in place, pulling the drawstring back and….

Snap! Feliciano watched in horror as the rabbit abruptly fell behind the log in a flash of red. Ludwig stood up proudly and began wading through the shrubs again. “Come on, Feli! Let’s see if we’re going to eat tonight!” He said eagerly, gesturing for Feliciano to follow behind him. It wasn’t dead. The rabbit laid in the dirt, the arrow firmly lodged through it’s torso with eyes full of shock. “….I was certain I had finished it….” Ludwig murmured grimly, “Feli, may I borrow your sword?” Feliciano nodded sadly; he knew what needed to be done.

Ludwig took the sword into his hand and sent it through the rabbit’s neck, watching coldly as it thrashed for a few, final moments of life before stilling forever. “…Such a large one…there is no way I can eat this myself. Feli….” Ludwig asked quickly, his face was redder than blood, he forced himself to continue “Ah..d-did you perhaps want to eat this, with me…tonight?” Feliciano’s face lit up at the suggestion, his hands clapping together in excitement. “Si! I would love to! I love rabbit! How will we have it? In soup? Roasted? Ohh, I’m so excited!” He mused cheerily. Ludwig’s mouth twitched up in a little smile, but there was a faded pain evident in his eyes. “Well…I’m afraid my home doesn’t have much in terms of food…or a kitchen…so for now it will have to be roasted. No spices or seasoning, just roasted” Ludwig replied softly, holding the rabbit by its ears and walking back up towards the light of his wagon.

Feliciano bounded ahead of him, hauling himself up onto Bella’s back and untying her before Ludwig had even made it up the grassy slope. “Eager one, aren’t you?” Ludwig chucked, tossing the dead rabbit in the back of his wagon and untying his mule, sitting himself down on the wooden seat and snapping the reins, starting his mule’s journey home. Feliciano nodded and vocally hummed a tune as he turned Bella around to follow Ludwig’s wagon. “What are you humming?” “Our kingdom’s theme! Don’t tell me you haven’t heard it yet?” “Nein…I’ve only just arrived to this kingdom…”

“ _Oh this land, bountiful in spirit….~ Let the strength of the forests take us home~ Let the power of the beasts bring us to glory~ May the light of the people light our way~ May the light of the people light our way~!”_ Feliciano sang softly on his mare, giving an excited look to Ludwig, “Did you come from this kingdom?” Ludwig shook his head and cleared his throat:

“ _May our mountains stay virtuous, our hearts as strong as iron and our blood coursing like a river, For we are one with the wind and sky, let our spirits never fall below the mountains! We are greater than gods! We will live in glory! We will live in glory!”_ Ludwig sung with his deep voice.

Feliciano instantly recognised the tune. “…You’re from the Germanic kingdom?” He asked eagerly, leaning in closer to Ludwig’s wagon. “Ja. ‘The kingdom of the mountains’ as they call it…” Ludwig replied through a stammer. “Wow! That’s amazing, Luddy! I’ve heard that kingdom is very pretty! So many fancy houses and markets! Why would you leave to go to such a dirty kingdom like this? We’re the lowest tier of royalty!” Feliciano chirped. Ludwig chuckled and laid back in his seat, “Aha, actually, I evacuated…our king….well….lately he has become problematic. He declared all the blacksmiths and dealer of weapons to be banished from the kingdom. He’s made it law that all residents are to turn in their weapons for the army. Nobody is allowed to own or distribute weapons now…so naturally I had to move to find work and make a living. He’s planning something horrible. I can sense it…” Ludwig’s expression went very serious for a few moments. “Do you miss your home? It must have been rough to be moved out so abruptly!” Feliciano asked softly.

Ludwig didn’t respond, taking the time to park his wagon in front of his shop again before he could reply. “….There’s nothing I can do about it now. I’ll just need to stay put until the coronation of the next prince. Maybe he will be less idiotic about forcing people out of their jobs” He muttered coldly, picking up the dead rabbit and taking a key dangling from his hip. Feliciano tied up Bella against a wooden post and followed Ludwig as he opened the door.

The room looked much cleaner than when he had left it last. The straw and the dust had been swept away into a small pile off to the side, a makeshift bed (quilt made from a potato sack and rags) lay in the corner of the room and already, it seems Ludwig had pulled in a bathtub. Feliciano felt pity for Ludwig as soon as he saw the state of the ‘bath’; it was merely a deep ceramic bowl, crumbling from age with visible bath mould and a small brown rag. Was the rag brown before it came in Ludwig’s possession? Feliciano could only pray it was.

“…” Ludwig looked over to Feliciano’s concerned face and sighed. “Ja…it’s not exactly a palace, is it? But! If I continue to work hard, I can get a carpenter to fix this place up for the better. For now, I’ll have to make do with what I have” Ludwig spoke with a bittersweet tone. Feliciano nodded and looked around for a seat. Seat? There was the pile of straw and dust, the wooden floor or the mouldy ceramic bowl. He decided the floor was the best and most clean option to choose, watching Ludwig as he examined the chimney carefully for a rack to cook the rabbit. “…Hey! Do you want me to skin and gut this rabbit? If I do that, you can start the fire and it’ll be warm enough to cook!” Feliciano suggested. Ludwig looked over his shoulder and nodded, still fixated on the small fireplace in front of him.

Feliciano took the rabbit from Ludwig’s hands and brought it to the old wooden table at the centre of the room, pulling a small pocket knife from under his coat, grimacing at the smell of the rabbit when it was gutted onto the table. While Feliciano started skinning the pelt of the rabbit, Ludwig focused his strength on rubbing sticks to start a fire. Carefully, he pulled some lantern oil and covered a log with it, before continuing, giving a small smile as a small stream of smoke started to form under the sticks, turning into a small ember. He carefully set the log into the fireplace, pulling out a small bellow and pumping it slowly so the embers lit up. After a few short moments, thanks to the assistance of the lantern oil, Ludwig had a small fire crackling in the fireplace.

“Ludwig! I’ve finished the skinning!” Feliciano declared proudly behind him. “Good job, Feli! Let’s cook it already or we’ll be forced to eat the rats” Ludwig chuckled, taking the bloody, raw rabbit and setting it onto a black, crispy metal rack above the fire. “…you have rats here too? Are there any more problems with this place? Seriously, Ludwig! I’d be more than willing to lend you some money to get you on your feet-“ “You are a guest at my home, I cannot allow you to help me. I will make this work, don’t worry” Ludwig reassured, his eyes locking with Feliciano’s.

Feliciano felt his face heat up again when Ludwig gave him that look, for a moment, the Alpha and Omega stayed with their eyes locked for a few moments, never seeming to want to tear away from each other. Ludwig’s gaze was dominating, searing with a passion and lust, but….he looked hesitant too. Feliciano felt that unbearably annoying heat spreading through his body again, his bones and muscles screamed at him just to tackle Ludwig to the ground and let him claim him. Ludwig started to lean in a little closer, perhaps a little too close, because he pulled back quickly and cleared his throat. Feliciano gave a disappointed whine at the back of his throat at the sudden loss of closeness but it didn’t seem like Ludwig had heard it. Ludwig’s face had gone a beautiful shade of scarlet with guilt written over his features, it looked like he was in a battle with himself, beating himself up for not continuing and kissing Feliciano.

“…Hey, Feli….” He started up; it was like his voice had gone up an octave. Feliciano purposely shuffled in closer so they were at eye level with each other. “…why do you insist on staying around me despite being an upperclassman? I must be an embarrassment to you…” Ludwig continued with a small voice. Feliciano gave a look of horror at Ludwig and without thinking, hurled his body over Ludwig’s and hugged him tightly. “I-I because! You’re my friend! I wouldn’t care whether you were a rat or a king! Money shouldn’t get in the way of friendship! Besides…I think you’re pretty cool” Feliciano spoke shakily, his body was quivering in desire just from their bodies touching. Ludwig groaned and hugged back, dipping his chin into the crook of Feliciano’s neck. “…in my home…if you were lower class…you were pushed away from the more populated areas, so business never came around. I was of middle class at home, I actually had business there. And a beautiful home and family…now…it’s gone” Ludwig confessed quietly, “I’m not used to the higher class showing such kindness to me”

Feliciano blushed wildly, squeezing Ludwig tighter to his body and refusing to let go as if his life depended on it. “…Do you miss home? Were there people there that you hold dearly? Was there someone you loved?” Feliciano bit his tongue at the last question that slipped from his mouth, he hoped Ludwig wouldn’t notice. “Ja, I miss mein bruder und mein opa…I was alone then und when you leave somewhere without anybody by your side, you realize you took their company for granted. I’ll be alright…” Ludwig spoke quietly, so quiet that Feliciano wasn’t sure if Ludwig was actually crying or not. Feliciano found the only way to offer support was to rub his back slowly and pat it every once in a while. At first, Ludwig flinched at the sudden movement, but eventually relaxed his muscles and groaned quietly.

As Feliciano continued to rub Ludwig’s back, the feeling in his chest was starting to grow more intense and an unbearable hot, tingling rush started to pulsate straight to his groin. Ludwig’s smell was dominating; Feliciano had read somewhere Alpha’s emitted a strange scent when aroused that was supposed to attract an Omega to their side right away. Sure enough, Feliciano very carefully peered down, saliva building up in his mouth at the sight of Ludwig’s groin casually rising up slowly at the contact. Feliciano considered the moment carefully; he could help Ludwig, but…he wasn’t allowed to mate with him or else there would be an outcry in the palace, not to mention the fact they had only met earlier in the day, it just wouldn’t be right. Feliciano pulled away, ignoring Ludwig’s obvious erection and his flushed face staring back at him. He looked so confused with himself and his feelings, bless him.

The strongest emotion written on his face was shame, undeniable shame. “…A-ah…Hey Feli, could you take care of the rabbit for me? I-I need to grab a breath of fresh air…” he spoke quickly, sitting up hastily and walking out the door before Feliciano could respond.

Contrary to popular belief of the stone walls holding up this ragged building, it was not soundproof at all. Feliciano’s body twitched in interest at the sound of Ludwig’s movements outside. From what he could hear, Ludwig was walking around the back of the little building, which was well hidden among the trees from the nearby forest. From the corner of Feliciano’s eyes, he saw something move through one of the open cracks in the wall, to his luck, it was Ludwig from a distance, hastily unbuckling his old pants and his boxers, panting lightly as he spat into his hands and threw his head back in a silent moan when they came in contact with his dick. Feliciano didn’t know what possessed him to press his face next to the crack and watch hungrily, his own length straining up against his boxers.

It must be the Alpha pheromones in the air; he excused himself that had to be it. Like a mirror, Feliciano followed Ludwig’s movements, stroking his length quickly; his pants and little groans were almost synchronising with the other’s. Until, Feliciano bit his hand, letting out a muffled cry and spilling into his other hand. Perhaps it was the scent he had given off during his orgasm, because a few minutes later, he could see Ludwig bucking into his hand with a face of bliss and relief. Feliciano watched in curiosity as Ludwig leaned back against a tree, regulating his breathing once again and checking around for anybody that saw, then rebuttoning his trousers. Ludwig started to walk closer to the wall, causing Feliciano to quickly recoil before he was seen and drag himself to the ceramic bowl of water in the corner, hastily shoving his length back into his pants and washing his hands from his seed.

He could hear an abnormal churning noise, like the noise his stomach had made when he ate too many cakes one night then a splatter of thick liquid in a stream outside. When Feliciano slithered back to the crack in the wall, he could see Ludwig washing his hands in brown, crusty water coming out of a manual water faucet. So that’s why the rag is brown, Feliciano realized. Very quickly, Feliciano made a new discovery: the smell of burning.

He quickly panned over to the rabbit lying idly on the fire, now black and covered in small, licking flames. “Oh merda!” Feliciano shrieked, pulling a pair of huge metal prongs and practically tossing the meat from the fire onto the ground, his eyes widening at the ash that seemed to flake off onto the ground.

Ludwig’s body ceased up from the view in the crack and he ran back inside, his eyes widened in horror at the sight of what was left of the meat, a small black chunk surrounded in black flakes of ash on the floor. “I’m sorry Luddy! I started to daydream and well…I got a bit carried away! Please forgive me!” Feliciano practically begged.

Ludwig groaned and slipped on a pair of thick gloves hanging from the door and picked up the chunk of black meat. “Feli, over in the cupboard above the bath, there’s a few plates in there, grab one quickly!” Ludwig instructed, ignoring Feliciano’s apology. Feliciano nodded eagerly and rushed over to the cupboard, pulling out some small metal plates and setting them onto the floor. As soon as a plate was ready, Ludwig dropped the meat onto the plate and cursed under his breath at the sight of the ash on his gloves. “…it’s alright Feli, I shouldn’t have been out there for so long…” Ludwig murmured quietly, taking the knife used to skin the rabbit’s carcass and started washing it in the ceramic bowl. Feliciano grimaced as he watched the somewhat milky water wash away the blood, it didn’t seem like Ludwig had noticed anything out the ordinary.

He carefully dried the knife against his pants and proceeded to slice the meat slowly. Minus the burning, the meat was cooked well, with juices flowing freely from each slice. For a little while, the room was filled with nothing but the ambient sounds of chewing and swallowing the food. Feliciano didn’t ask Ludwig if he had cutlery to use; the plates were hastily crafted with metal, most likely Ludwig’s handicraft, therefore it would be asking too much to want knives or forks. Somehow, despite having grown up in a palace, where food was given so freely to him with the snap of his fingers, he was enjoying this experience. It wasn’t the best meat he had eaten by far, not with his…ahem…marinating the knife before cutting the meat. But with Ludwig, it felt more natural, like it was meant to be. They ate the whole chunk of meat together in silence, picking out the bones and scraping off the flaky ash onto their plates.

Ludwig’s face was starting to redden with each slice of meat he consumed, and for a moment, Feliciano didn’t know what was wrong. Until he realized, the knife Ludwig was using was washed with water with traces of his seed in it. It wasn’t uncommon for pharmacists to produce a bottle of medicine for incompetent Alphas which couldn’t seem to feel a lust for mating when their partners entered preheat. What was the main ingredient of the medicine? Extracted pheromones from the semen or estrogen of an Omega. Of course he was getting unnecessarily hot and bothered all of a sudden.

Feliciano stood up suddenly and wiped his mouth. “That was great, Luddy! But I need to go home now, I’ve got a big day ahead of me and I need to rest” Feliciano declared. Ludwig looked up with half lidded eyes and reddened cheeks; there was a hint of disappointment in his features. “Oh. I see. Well then, thank you for staying with me tonight. I ah…I don’t suppose you would be busy tomorrow, would you?” Ludwig asked bashfully. Feliciano wished he could’ve said he was as free as a bird, but of course, tomorrow all the Alphas of the kingdom were to report to the palace for inspection. If Ludwig turned up….

”No! No sorry, I’m very busy tomorrow. But the day after I should be free! So I’ll come by that day, okay?” Feliciano replied, almost a bit too loudly. Ludwig nodded sadly and stood up, giving Feliciano’s shoulder a little squeeze. “Promise me, we’ll see each other again sometime” He spoke quietly, the lust was clearly evident in his voice. “Si! Okay, I’m going to go home now. Goodbye!” Feliciano spoke, walking out the door and running down the street. Ludwig watched as he went, sighing at his loss and closing the door behind him.

Tomorrow, what was to happen tomorrow….


	3. Chapter 3

He said his farewells to Bella, taking her back to the stable and walking down the empty village. He just couldn’t understand. Why was it compulsory for Omega’s to be accompanied by an Alpha in ruling? Why were Omega’s only the support class? Feliciano’s eyes lowered to the ground in sadness at the thought. Tomorrow, all the Alphas were to report to the kingdom. Tomorrow, an Alpha would be chosen to be king and Feliciano? Well…nobody cared about the welfare of an actual royal family member apparently.

It wasn’t fair! He wasn’t ready! And now, Ludwig was involved. Feliciano paused abruptly at the sound of crinkling paper next to him: a poster hung up hastily with nails blew slowly in the light night wind. Curiosity got the better of him; he ripped it off the wall and started to feel tears of fear prickling in the corner of his eyes.

                                                                            Attention! All inhabitants of the Roman Kingdom!

Due to unforeseen circumstances, all healthy Alpha Female and Males over the age of 18 are to report to the palace for selection to assist His Highness, Prince Feliciano in ruling.

Alphas are to be without any defects

All Alphas must be prompt and well-dressed to appease His Highness, Prince Feliciano at 12:00am. All Alphas are to report to the palace early at 7:00am.

If any Alpha over the age of 18 is not present at the palace gates by the allocated time, an officer will promptly arrive for your reasoning. You will be required provide:

-A medical certificate

Work is NOT a viable excuse to not attend

The tears started to roll down his cheeks like a coursing stream. Through the shallow rapid, hitching breathing, his could only whisper a chorus of ‘no, no, no…’ as he walked away from the poster. They didn’t care about him. None of the Alpha’s did, His grandfather didn’t; even now, he doubted Ludwig would care if he had known the truth. The only thing the Alpha’s cared about was domination; no love, no sunny days in the field, no cuddles, no horse rides to the beach together, no light peppery kisses on his nose, no lazy days; only cold, hard business and conquering his body. It made Feliciano sick to his stomach at the thought of a stranger ravaging his body.

He couldn’t trust anybody other than Ludwig. Ludwig! There was no doubt about it, that scent, that build; that man was definitely an Alpha! Then…he would attend the selection! It was perfect! Well, Feliciano would admit to himself, yes, he trusted Ludwig wholeheartedly, after all he was the first Alpha that didn’t care for dominating an Omega but rather, working hard. But…would he want the life of a king? Feliciano realized, they were expected to mate too, as like the tradition went. Would Ludwig even want that? Perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad….Feliciano mentally slapped himself, What was he thinking?! “Feliciano?!”

Feliciano snapped out of his thoughts when he found Yao gaping back at him in horror. “Your highness! Where have you been at this time of night without a guard?! What if something had happened to yo-God Lord your face! Your clothes! What happened to you?!” Yao squawked in a panic, rushing to Feliciano, “We need to run you a bath right away!” Feliciano rolled his eyes and let himself be led by Yao back into the palace where he was met by his grandfather scowling back at him.

“Ah…ciao nonno….” “Don’t give me that, Feli. Where the hell were you at this hour?!” Feliciano jumped back a little at the loudness of King Roma’s voice. “I was riding Bella through the woods” King Roma’s face grew so frightening that it could curdle dairy. “This isn’t a game Feliciano. Tomorrow, you _will_ choose an Alpha, there’s no time to go horse riding! Now then, speaking of tomorrow, Yao has organized Mr. Edelstein to dress you, I need to know now, Feliciano, what is your preferred Alpha? Male or Fem-“ “Neither!” Feliciano snapped back, choking back tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks again “Neither nonno, I don’t want to marry! I don’t want to do this…please don’t do this to me, nonno!” King Roma looked through him, his expression remained unchanged.

“…I expect you to be dressed and in the dining room by 9:00” he replied coldly and turned away. Feliciano couldn’t help it, the tears blew at full force down his soft cheeks and he couldn’t spend another second in his grandfather’s presence like this.

He sprinted down the corridor to his chambers, his eyes squeezed shut and tears glittering like diamonds. “Your highness!” a hand grabbed Feliciano’s wrist and spun him around. His Beta in waiting, Kiku, gave a calm expression. “Breathe in and out, breath in and out…Feliciano, are you doing your breathing exercises with me? Breathe in and out…can you do that for me?” Kiku instructed calmly, motioning with his hands slowly to inhale and exhale. Feliciano struggled to breathe with the tears forcing themselves at such a rate; however he managed to follow Kiku’s instructions and soon found himself only quivering with tears.

“…Kiku….” “Your bath is ready, your highness. Your nightgown is folded on your bed, the bed linen has been replaced and you will find the embroidered towels under the sink” “Kiku…” Kiku paused and sighed at Feliciano lightly. “Is something the matter, your highness?” He asked quietly. Feliciano nodded and wiped his eyes. “Can you help me undress? I was forced to wear this dumb corset all evening and I can’t take it off myself” Feliciano asked weakly. One look to Kiku’s scarlet face reminded him of Ludwig and his expressions of orgasmic pleasure, his smile, his laugh…”….Your highness? You are looking a little red. Do you have a fever?” Kiku asked suddenly, pressing a hand to Feliciano’s head. “No, no. Let’s just…I need to bathe, I’m filthy” “Yes, your highness”

He wondered how Ludwig would feel about living in a life full of luxury. His chamber was bigger than Ludwig’s by far, with a ceiling that arched upwards with paintings of flowers that watched over him every night. The bed was far more impressive however, with bedposts carved with majestic horses with the finest wood from the nearby forest, the mattress was only just a little smaller than Ludwig’s house with a huge, thick blanket to conquer those cold nights. On one side of the room, there were two large rooms: A bathroom with a marble bathtub big enough for two with edges made of gold and lastly, a heat room.

Heat room; the word made Feliciano shudder. Nobody was allowed in his heat room, not even the maids. It was the one place he was responsible to clean up after, as his heats grew to be pretty intense at times and the mess was always unpleasant. Inside the room, there was blankets, cushions and an assortment of oils to assist Feliciano in those trying times; the room was one of the only rooms in the kingdom that had a glass sunroof to allow the heat of the sun to warm up the nest Feliciano would build up, mess up, then tidy up again.

He looked over to the other side of the room at the massive marble balcony that overlooked the palace gardens. In truth, Feliciano’s chamber would be the most unprotected building in the palace, as no guards defended the palace gardens. He started to take off his shirt, chuckling a little at how embarrassed Kiku looked, casting his eyes the other way shamefully. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, Kiku! I’m fine with you being here, really!” Feliciano reassured with a chuckle. With his waist coat and frilled shirt now in a pile on the floor, he was left wearing only his pants and a pale white corset. Kiku said nothing, instead came up behind Feliciano slowly. “Please lean against the bedpost with your arms above your head, your highness” he instructed, turning Feliciano around and looking down at the ridiculously tight workings of the corset strings.

Feliciano could feel a strange looseness starting to fill in his lower back when he felt Kiku’s fingers untie the knot at the bottom of the corset. “…I must say, your highness, pardon me for saying, but have the most admirable child bearing hips! I’m rather envious” Kiku spoke as he quickly started to unhook the string from the holes. Feliciano breathed out in relief, finally having the freedom of being able to stick his gut out for a change. “…I do not appreciate being spoken to like that” Feliciano hissed at Kiku, whose hands seemed to quiver as he continued. “Ah! I apologise, your highness, I was out of line” He apologised quickly, slipping off the corset in one quick movement. “Tell nonno that he shouldn’t order his servants to convince me of letting an Alpha take advantage of me” Feliciano growled threateningly. Kiku’s expression didn’t change, instead he simply bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him.

He was finally alone again. Feliciano carefully peeled off his pants and undid the tight laces of his boots, sighing as the last feelings of tightness left his body and his bare skin touched the stale air. If there was one thing about being a prince, it was the restriction with everything Feliciano did. His clothes were tightened so much it made it difficult to breathe. He always needed a guard to follow him around to go shopping in the local markets, or to escort him through the forests. Feliciano found, when he snuck out, the palace rarely noticed any change because there was always the assumption that he was safe with a guard by his side. Feliciano had a plan for tomorrow morning: He would run away to Ludwig’s house and stay there for a little while. At least, just stay there long enough for the palace to see that he was missing. Of course, he would need to disguise himself as a poor boy so nobody came looking for their precious missing prince.

He let a low whine as his body sank into the warm bathwater; the aching in his foot from earlier in the day began to ache again as it sunk like a battleship. As the fragrance from the bath oils fumigated his sinuses, he thought back to when Ludwig told him about the Germanic kingdom. If Ludwig was an Alpha from the Germanic kingdom, why didn’t he participate in the selection day two months ago? Feliciano could remember all the faces of the Alphas that entered his court, how they all gave a disappointed grunt and shuffled away when they were all dismissed within the hour. Ludwig looked like a strong, healthy Alpha; it just didn’t make sense for him not to be sent to be examined.

Feliciano curled his knees to his chest, resting his chin and looking down into the bubbles resting on the water. If Feliciano was to reject this chance to choose an Alpha, he was to be forced with one instead. What if Ludwig didn’t arrive to the palace? What was to happen when Ludwig realizes he was the prince, would he still be willing to stay by his side? Perhaps Ludwig already had an Omega…no, Feliciano shook away those thoughts. Tomorrow, he was going to spend the day with him and just forget the responsibilities he was forced to deal with.

Feliciano dried himself hastily with one of the soft, white towels laid before him by Kiku; as he was drying himself, he spotted a small chocolate on the bench and rolled his eyes. He knew exactly what was in that chocolate: Alpha pheromones to induce attraction to an Alpha with a similar smell. Feliciano discarded it into the small trashcan and drained the bath. He wasn’t going to fall for that trick! He sunk into the bedsheets and spread his fingers across the softness of the mattress. To think Ludwig slept in potato sacks and rags! Feliciano turned over and closed his eyes slowly, letting himself fall into a light slumber under the warmth of the blankets.

In the ambience of sleep, something was calling to him. It was almost like a strong urge to see Ludwig again, pulling him out of his sleep just as the sun rose against the windows of his bedroom. Feliciano craned his neck up to the small clock on the dresser in front of his bed. It was around seven in the morning. With a groan, Feliciano wriggled out of bed, covering himself with a fluffy dressing gown laid neatly on his bedside drawer and peeked through the window, gasping in horrified awe. Already, there were tents outside the castle entrance, filled with restless Alphas waiting to meet Feliciano. Earliest bird catches the worm, Feliciano snorted to himself, these Alphas must be desperate. He scanned over the crowd to see if Ludwig was among the sea of Alphas, but felt his heart sink when he couldn’t be seen.

Thankfully, Feliciano’s chambers were the perfect place to escape from. Just underneath the marble balcony outside his window, there was a tangle of thick vines that travelled up the wall of the palace and into the unsupervised palace gardens, the perfect place to climb down into and escape into the forest surrounding the kingdom. Feliciano dug around his clothes draw and pulled out a simple white collared shirt and some black pants. Usually, he was required to wear a corset over the shirt to show off his Omega child-bearing hips, however, they were always so restricting. He carefully slipped on his boots and walked over to the balcony, scanning the palace gardens for any guards in case the King Roma had ordered them to be extra protective.

Fortunately, there was nobody in sight at this hour. Feliciano swung his leg over the balcony, wincing as the cold stone pressed hard against his groin and started to blindly fondle his foot around the vines until he had a good place to safely climb down from. Once his foot was in a safe position, Feliciano swung his other leg over, gripping onto the bottom of the balcony poles and grabbing hold onto the vines, climbing down very carefully from the height of his room. As he descended down further and further, he could see less and less of the long line of Alphas waiting for him. No Alphas in sight, just the way he liked his palace. He gave a sigh of triumph once his boots came in contact with the soft grass below and the flowers from the garden bed swayed in greeting. Once more, he scanned the area; still no guards. Feliciano took this opportunity to sprint to the other end of the palace gardens, where a large hedge obstructed the palace from the forest.

The woods made an excellent shortcut to the edge of town, where Ludwig’s cabin was located. Without hesitation, Feliciano began to climb through the hedge, cursing under his breath as the sharp branches tore at his clothes and skin. Once he was free from the tangle of the bushes, he rolled out onto the woodland floor, dusted off his pants and started to walk through the little secret path he had made himself. The path was marked with x’s on the trees with his dagger from the many times he had snuck out from the palace walls. As he ran to each X marked tree guiding his way, occasionally he would pass a tree marked with an ‘O’; if he wanted to, following those trees would guide him to the ocean. Feliciano chuckled at the thought of making a secret path directly to Ludiwg’s home. As he quickly dashed to each tree, he found the cracks between the trees grew bigger and the view of the backs of market tents grew more common. Just a little while further, he would reach the back of Ludwig’s home. Feliciano started to walk behind the market buildings and tents, following them until he reached a familiar sight: The crusty tap from behind Ludwig’s house.

At first, Feliciano considered walking around the house, knocking on the front door and inviting himself, however someone had beat him to it. There was a loud pounding on the door and some scuffling of material inside. “Ja, ja! Please be patient!” Ludwig’s voice called to the door. Feliciano relocated the crack he had once watched Ludwig through yesterday and peered inside; feeling his face heat up at the sight of Ludwig’s toned abs slipping on a shirt before opening the door. There were palace guards!

Feliciano covered his mouth in horror; did somebody see him with Ludwig last night?! “Good morning. Is this the residence of Ludwig Beilschmidt?” “Ja, what can I do for you?” Feliciano crossed his fingers; please just be there to sharpen your swords, please just be there to sharpen your swords….”We have come here in regard to the selection day of his highness, prince Feliciano Vargas. You are an Alpha and were expected to be at the palace gates by now for the pre-examination process. Why are you not at the palace gates?” Feliciano leaned in closer with interest “I am…an incompetent Alpha” Ludwig replied quietly. “We need evidence. Show us your medical certificate for confirmation” One of the guards ordered gruffly. Ludwig nodded and walked over to the wooden desk, opening a drawer and rummaging through the papers until he pulled out a folded piece of brown parchment and handed it to one of the guards. Feliciano attempted to listen in on the mumblings of the guards, but found the distance between them made their conversation too hard to listen into. “…You are dismissed!” they muttered, handing back the paper and closing the door behind them.

Ludwig stood in the room for a few moments, sighing and placing a hand to his forehead in sadness. What could make him such an unfit Alpha? Feliciano crept around the back of the house, watching closely for anymore guards and knocking on the door. Ludwig opened it, his eyes were dulled with sadness, but they seemed to light up a little once he realized Feliciano was standing on his doorstep again.

“Ah, Feli! Wow, what impeccable timing! I was just about to go looking for you” Ludwig spoke with a hint of cheeriness in his voice. That happiness in his voice was false. Something was definitely bothering Ludwig this morning. “Look for me? Why is that?” Feliciano responded eagerly, walking inside the house and closing the door behind him. Ludwig picked up Feliciano’s knife used to slice the meat, now cleaned to perfection and sheathed in a leather pouch and handed it over to Feliciano.

“Oh! Si, I had forgotten my dagger from yesterday!” he gasped in realization. Ludwig chuckled a little and started to prod the fire with a metal prong. “I uh…also sharpened it for you. You were a guest of a blacksmith after all” Ludwig added sheepishly, looking sadly into the flames as they twisted around the metal.

“…Hey Ludwig….” Feliciano asked quietly. Ludwig turned around and found Feliciano standing beside him, attempting to warm his hands in the fire, “I saw two guards walking from your house…what was all that about?” Ludwig’s eyes widened a little and blinked slowly, as if trying to process what to say. “They wanted me to report to the palace to be inspected by the prince, however, I can’t…” he replied quietly. Almost like instinct, Feliciano intwined his fingers in between the spaces of Ludwig’s free hand.

“Why not? You are such a handsome, strong A-Alpha” Feliciano began to blush wildly once he had realized what he was saying, he swallowed and forced himself to continue, “Why couldn’t you go?” Ludwig stared back at Feliciano with cheeks burning hotter than the warmth of the fire. “I-I…I’m defective! While I can marry an Omega if I wanted, I just can’t…because no Omega is willing to stay with an Alpha with a disability” Ludwig admitted painfully. Feliciano could see the light dancing in Ludwig’s glossy eyes, shimmering with tears threatening to spill past his eyes. Feliciano didn’t know what to say; would it be rude to ask?

Before he could do anything, Ludwig walked over to the table and started to roll up his right pant leg, revealing a metal pole with a carved wooden foot. He rolled it up even further to where the pole ended, just below his knee, where scars littered around the bandaged stump that combined his prosthetic leg with his body.

“…I’m defective” Ludwig stated through a deep breath, “Everyday I’m forced to live with the fact that Omegas are only interested in healthy Alphas. This leg is painful to move, I always need to step carefully and this prosthetic always needs to be welded with more metal to support it every once in a while. I can’t go out in the rain or else it could rust and break. I’ve been told by many people to keep it hidden because it is a disgusting sight. What sort of Alpha am I? When I need to care about myself more than my Omega?” Ludwig but his lip and started to quiver a little. Feliciano was shattered at the sight of Ludwig in so much pain; he didn’t know what to say. “…You’re my first friend…please…please don’t leave me! I’m capable of caring for myself-”

“Ludwig!” Ludiwg stopped and looked to Feliciano, who had a few tears of his own starting to form in his eyes.

“...Ludwig…I could never leave you! I don’t know why, but somehow, I’m always attracted to you. Like a moth to a light. I can’t leave you, not now, not ever! So please, don’t hurt yourself like this! You’re such a strong person, Ludwig, I find myself wanting to be beside you all the time. And now that I know about this, I can’t bring myself to leave you!” Feliciano admitted tearfully.

Ludwig’s body started to shake as tears fell thick down his cheeks. “You really mean that? You’re really willing to stay with someone like me?” Ludwig asked shakily. Feliciano nodded and walked over to the table, positioning himself between Ludwig’s legs spread against the desk. He brought his hand up and started to brush the tears on Ludwig’s cheeks lightly, looking down at those lips hanging open slightly in awe. Ludwig closed his eyes and started to lean in; Feliciano began to tilt his head and leaned in slowly, never letting go of his face as their lips touched tenderly. Feliciano’s eyebrows twitched in interest at the taste of the Alpha’s lips; he slowly pulled away and they both opened their eyes once again. It seemed Ludwig’s face was washed over with relief, like all his stresses had just melted away with that one kiss.

“Feli…” Ludwig breathed out, brushing his fingers through Feliciano’s hair and kissing him tenderly once again, “H-how long? When did this happen? I-is this? Are we…?”

“Ludwig” Feliciano gave a low whine and started to kiss Ludwig again, both hands were now on Ludwig’s face. “I-I it’s only been a day, yet somehow I feel like I have known you my whole life. Like we were somehow meant to be this way…” Feliciano murmured softly. Ludwig shuddered against Feliciano’s lips and stood up, embracing him tightly against his chest. “Feli…I don’t know what to say….I’m not experienced with romance…I don’t know if I’m a worthy Alpha for you…”

“You're already more than a worthy Alpha, Ludwig...” Feliciano paused and looked over at the clock. 9:45?! He was supposed to be in the dining room by 9:00!  “I-I can’t stay here much longer. Promise me we’ll see each other tomorrow!” Feliciano spoke quickly. Ludwig flinched a little and pulled Feliciano away gently. “Ja. Tomorrow, Liebling” Ludwig replied with a warm smile. Feliciano beamed at him eagerly as he took his dagger from the table and started to walk to the door. “See you then, Ludwig!” Feliciano cried, blowing him a kiss as he walked through the door. Ludwig blushed and sheepishly caught the kiss in his hand and waved. “Auf Weidersehen”

 


	4. Chapter 4

Feliciano sprinted through the town with an uneasy twisting in his stomach. Should he tell King Roma of Ludwig’s existence? What happened just now…Feliciano pressed his fingertips to his lips, trying to imagine Ludwig’s lips, cold and uncertain against his. They only shared a kiss. Feliciano couldn’t force him into marriage so soon. It would be like the predicament he was in now. “….! Your highness!” Feliciano whipped his head around to two of his personal guards, sprinting towards him, “Thank god, you’re here. The King had ordered us to search for you. Where were you?” Feliciano looked away and fidgeted, praying his guards couldn’t smell the light traces of Ludwig’s scent on him. “Ah, I was only frolicking in the fields! Am I late?” Feliciano replied.

Both of them eyed each other anxiously. Feliciano was going to take that look of distress as a yes.

The palace was in absolute chaos. As the guards led Feliciano through the gates, the Alphas already waiting in line began to act animalistic, hooting and calling out for Feliciano with obscene gestures and disgusting catcalls. It gave Feliciano a closer look of those vile men and women before him. All of them remained with one goal: to claim and conquer. “Ignore them, your highness. Some of these Alphas were forced to attend even during their ruts. I’m sure they are actually nice people” One of his guards whispered to Feliciano as they carefully pushed him along.

They reached the opening chamber, where the king’s throne overlooked a red carpet meant to welcome each Alpha into the palace. However, the throne was strangely empty. “Where is nonno?” Feliciano asked innocently. “Your highness, our brave King Roma is currently in the dining room. Please, go to your chambers. Your tailor is waiting for you with an outfit appropriate for this grand occasion” replied one of the guards. Feliciano nodded and dashed to his chambers.

The kingdoms were noticed for being separated by class, color and nature. In Feliciano’s case, this was the Roman kingdom, known as the lowest tier of royalty in all the lands. Surprisingly odd for the choices of colors the kingdom was represented by. The palace was decorated with a color scheme of dark, deep crimsons and white. Supposedly, it is said these colors were supposed to represent the blood of the people and the spirit of their hardships. In a way, Feliciano mused, the palace was the only building in the entire kingdom that actually bore these colors, with a structure made entirely of marble and deep crimson carpets. This was also the only building in the kingdom that was considered ‘fancy’ as the rest of the land was made up of stretching fields, tiny wooden villages and woodlands.

Because of this, the kingdom’s ‘class’ was considered the lowest tier for the lack of fancy towns and the popularity of farmers. This factor also ranked their nature as being ‘one with the people and beasts’, inspiring the anthem. It made Feliciano wonder about the other kingdoms. In Feliciano’s lifetime, he had only traveled to two in his time.

The kingdom of the Baltics was above him in class. Supposedly a ‘providing’ kingdom; it was very similar and the Roman kingdom have close ties with their king. Their color scheme was a little fancier than the Roman kingdoms: with towns decked in deep greens and bronze. Feliciano could still remember smiling at all the workers in the fields as their horses rode past for the first time. They had such beautiful markets and the best clothes. The Baltic kingdom was governed by King Toris; his wedding and coronation was only a few months earlier.

The next tier of royalty was the Asian kingdom. Feliciano had only heard stories of it from Yao and Kiku, both residents from there long ago. It was a kingdom famous for their craftsmanship, creating and manufacturing goods for the other kingdoms. As Kiku described, it was a kingdom surrounded in humid jungles and had many fascinating temples and shrines. Yao had once mentioned to Feliciano that their kingdom has a scheme of red and bronze, to represent the strength and intelligence of their people and their bravery. Both Kiku and Yao thought highly of this kingdom, however, was forced to leave after a revolution among workers broke out. Neither of them minded leaving their beautiful kingdom to work for the Roman kingdom; they received heavy payment after the king learned of their ability to fluently understand all the languages of the other kingdoms. It must have come from all the shipping requests from the many other regions who spoke different languages.

The kingdom of the Nordics was a land close to the ocean, highly acknowledged for its pearl jewelers, their towns, markets and their scenic views. Their towns, flags and palace consisted of silver and blue. Blue for the vast oceans and lakes that surrounded the kingdom and silver for their riches. Feliciano loved this kingdom; he once had to attend a meeting between King Roma and King Berwald, with his Omega queen, Tino to discuss opening trading shipments import goods to their kingdom. Of course, he didn’t pay any attention to what they were saying. As an Omega, Feliciano really didn’t need to care as much as his future Alpha would. Feliciano wished he could have taken Bella to ride across their beautiful oceans.

Now, the final tier of royalty in these lands, the Germanic kingdom, not even the royal members of Feliciano’s kingdom were allowed to enter without permission, despite being one of the categorized kingdoms. To be born inside the Germanic kingdom was a blessing and an honor; it is very hard to obtain access to the kingdom. It is said, the riches were so evident in the kingdom, that their streets were paved with gold. However, Feliciano only believed it to be just a silly legend. Those who entered the Germanic kingdom either too early to see the towns in all their glory, or were fortunate enough to stay and find work. The Germanic kingdom overlooked the rest of the lands, standing high and tall above the mountains. How they were the highest in royalty? Those mountains weren’t bare of substance; deep inside each mountain, if one were to mine it, minerals and gold could be found. As such, the kingdom was the richest and the most beautiful of them all.

Their color scheme was simple, the one everybody was envious of: white and gold. These colours shunned the others, reminded the others of their godlike status of power. Many kingdoms had tried and failed to attempt to conquer and rule it for themselves. As well as distributing the money this land uses, it is also the distributor of weapons too and had many blacksmiths. Perhaps that is the reason Ludwig became a blacksmith? It looked like it was a tradition among Alphas. The Alphas that attended the selection day a few months ago all looked reluctant once they saw the state of the Roman kingdom.

Feliciano sprinted past those marble pillars leading up to his chamber door, but it swung open before he could even reach for it. “…! Prince Feliciano Vargas, you are tardy! And I feel neither fear nor remorse saying it either! This is ridiculous! Get inside at once!” his tailor snapped. Ah, good old Roderich.

Although Feliciano and he had many bickering sessions, Feliciano enjoyed this Omega’s company. He was the one person in the palace other than Yao who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.

“Right. Strip down, I have tailored for you, this fabulous corset, first you must wear this frilled shirt. Oh! And these riding pants! I had my seamstresses embroider the kingdom’s emblem on the sides….Oh for goodness sake! The king is going to kill me if I keep you any longer! Undress faster please!” He snapped, readjusting his glasses stressfully. Feliciano let out a nasal snort and threw his shirt onto the floor. “AH! BE CAREFUL WITH THAT!” Roderich snapped, promptly dusting it off and setting it onto the dresser neatly, “That is expensive material! I pray you won’t treat this outfit so roughly, it is weak and can easily rip” Feliciano chuckled and, just to spite Roderich, cast aside his pants messily too. “Tsk. I feel sympathetic for the Alpha you are to marry someday”

“Sorry! I guess being a royal teaches you to be carefree, Roderich” “Yes well, if you were to behave this way in the Germanic kingdom you would be put in jail” Roderich snipped, unbuttoning the white shirt with the frilled collar and slipping Feliciano’s arms through the holes. Feliciano stopped his antics at once he heard the word ‘Germanic kingdom’ slip past his lips. “Wait, Roderich, did you come from the Germanic kingdom?” Feliciano asked eagerly. Roderich rolled his eyes and brought the pants over to Feliciano.

“Yes. Yes I did. Your grandfather orders all your clothing from us because we have the highest in fashion and riches-“ “Can you tell me about it?” “Leg” Feliciano slipped both his legs through the pant holes as Roderich awkwardly knelt and started tucking the dress shirt into the pants and button them up tightly. “What do you want to know?” “I want to know…is the ground really paved with gold?” Roderich snorted and twirled his finger at Feliciano, gesturing him to turn around so he could put the corset on. “No. However, gold can be seen in the pavement. The city’s capital is built into the mountain with stone from the mountains a little further ahead. The pavement and some of the buildings has flecks of gold that can be seen, none that would be big enough to equal anything in our economy, but otherwise, no, our streets are not paved with gold” Roderich explained as he pulled a crimson ribbon that hung loosely at his shoulders and began threading it through the holes down the corset, never bothering to ask Feliciano if the corset was too tight for him.

“Roderich…I can’t breathe….” Feliciano gasped, gaping like a fish for air. “Ah, an Omega’s life is a tough one. The struggle to impress a mate will always tarnish our lives unfortunately. Endure it, Feliciano. Your Alpha will find you very attractive” Roderich murmured deep in concentration as the binds grew tighter. Feliciano was starting to pant for air, he was certain his rib cage was going to be crushed by the force of the tightness!

“D-do you have a mate already, Roderich?” Feliciano asked through a gasp. Roderich simply made an ‘mm’ sound and kept working. “What’s he like?” Feliciano asked breathlessly. Roderich paused for a moment, but continued working.

“She. She completes me. I enjoy making clothing for her some days and she enjoys listening to my music. She is strict but kind. Dominating, yet carefree too. I miss her” Roderich spoke dreamily. “Uh…I don’t mean to pry…but how does impregnation with a female Alpha even work?” Feliciano asked obliviously, judging by Roderich’s flustered expression, he felt he had made a mistake by asking. “How repulsive! Don’t you have any decency?!” Roderich screeched defensively. Feliciano was taken aback by Roderich’s sudden spit of anger and tried to look away. “I uhh, I’ve only been taught about male Alphas….sorry….” Feliciano spoke hoarsely. Roderich’s expression shifted a little and he let out a long sigh. “Female Alphas are a rare case, which is why you probably haven’t heard of it before. Just as a male Alpha has a knot when he finishes, a female Alpha has an alternate version where her body completely ceases up and tightens around you” Roderich let out an embarrassed huff, “She’s the one who is pregnant, not I. She still has the same functions as an Alpha would, however, without a sexual organ designed for the specific purpose to knot and impregnate an Alpha, she cannot impregnate an Omega”  Feliciano let out an ‘ohhh’ of realization.

“Then…what happens when you go into heat?” He asked innocently. Roderich cleared his throat and looked away with reddened cheeks. “I-I crave her just as any Omega would for their Alpha in these times” “Oh okay then” Roderich finished off the corset with a neat bow. “There. Done. Now, go to the dining hall. I cannot fathom how I allowed myself to delay you any further. I swear, if the king yells at me, it’s your fault and you know it” He muttered coldly. Feliciano laughed and slipped on his polished boots, zipping them up with the golden zippers with the kingdom’s emblem embedded in it.

“Grazie Roderich! Good luck with your Alpha!” Feliciano spoke breathlessly, awkwardly shuffling out the room. Roderich rolled his eyes and started packing his equipment. He felt really sorry for the Alpha Feliciano was due to marry.

Feliciano walked out his chambers, the tightness of the corset making it harder to breathe with each passing second. Was it worth staying in the palace today? His heart and mind was still fixated on Ludwig. He wished he could just be with him today, frolic in the fields with him, hunt with him, nap with him. Of course, his duty as prince forbade him.

Perhaps his brother’s decision was wiser after all. He thought his brother Lovino was being outrageous when he had first spoken to him about running away. Their childhood was filled with peppered conversations in the dark at night, of stories about running away to the countryside, meeting an Alpha that loves them for who they are, living a fulfilling life.

As they grew older, those childhood stories warped and started to sound like actual plans. Lovino was determined, but Feliciano was hesitant. One day, Feliciano woke up to find Lovino missing, his clothes and a satchel of gold and jewelry from their bedroom had been stolen. The only thing he had left behind was a letter, explaining how he had mated and fallen in love with an Alpha already, but neither of them wanted the life of royalty.

Feliciano paused in front of the doors of the dining room and took a shaky breath; it was like he could feel King Roma’s anger through the door. With a gulp, he pushed open the doors to find a large banquet in front of him, with the kingdom’s national foods and delicacies, untouched. “Feliciano. Sit” King Roma instructed calmly, although he looked very impatient. “You’re late. Where were you?” King Roma asked coldly as Feliciano took a seat on a velvet padded chair. “Si, I was getting one of my swords sharpened. The blade has dulled lately…” Feliciano replied shakily, taking a slice from a gourmet cooked pizza and placing it onto one of the many plates spread before him.

“…Because of your tardiness, we can only access about twenty of the Alphas who have attended. So, did any take your fancy?” King Roma asked, taking a bite from a bunch of grapes from the cornucopia on the table. Feliciano took a huge bite from his pizza and remained silent. Should he tell nonno? Feliciano swallowed.

“A-are we allowed to accept Alphas with disabilities?” He replied as casually as possible.

King Roma’s expression shifted to something cold. “No. Our kingdom needs thriving Alphas. You haven’t met an Alpha with a disability have you?” he asked quietly. Feliciano started to panic internally; what could he say? Was Ludwig born without the use of his leg? Although, looking back at the scars just above the prosthetic, it seemed like he had lost it somehow. “…no. I was just curious~” Feliciano replied quickly, King Roma seemed convinced of this and took a slice of the gourmet pizza.

King Roma and Feliciano ate in silence, both not knowing what to say to each other. They stayed in this awkward silence until most of the banquet was eaten. “Feliciano. It’s time. Let’s move on the throne room” King Roma suggested forcefully. Feliciano nodded grimly and sat up, following his grandfather as he stopped at the open throne room, where two thrones, a big and small one, awaited. On the chairs of the throne awaited their crowns: silver crowns with rubies studded across them. King Roma lifted the crown and placed it softly of Feliciano’s head.

“Now my boy, I want you to think carefully and choose one. We’ll access each Alpha in groups of ten. Sit on your throne now…” he instructed. Feliciano was numb to everything he was saying and sat in the smaller throne next to his, the throne made for the Omega queen. King Roma placed his own crown atop his head, sat down in his seat and cleared his throat. “Guards! Send in the first 10 Alphas!” He bellowed through the hall, watching gleefully as they walking in, single lined into the court and lined up in front of them.

“Okay Feliciano, go on. Access your Alphas” King Roma mumbled. Feliciano went strangely quiet, standing up and walking towards the line of Alphas. There were nine males and one female Alpha present, all of them emitting a dominating scent and all of them built like soldiers. There was an age gap among all of them. Some of the Alphas looked to be young, fresh eighteen year olds; however, about four of them visibly had wrinkles and facial hair.

Feliciano walked up to the first Alpha on the right, glaring into his eyes at his still, determined look. He looked like one of the palace guards! Cheekily, Feliciano pinched the man’s cheeks and jiggled them; snickering at how baby-faced he looked despite trying to look dominating. When he had left a beautiful pink marking on both his cheeks, Feliciano waltzed over the female Alpha, looked her up and down.

“Bella, can you pick me up in your arms and carry me?” Feliciano asked. King Roma shuffled intently in his throne. “Si, your highness. I will do whatever I can to please you” she replied bashfully, hooking her arms around Feliciano and picking him up slowly. “Grazie~ Now, walk me to the next Alpha” he instructed. The female Alpha nodded willingly and held him to eye level with the next Alpha, who was panting and very red in the face. “Excuse me sir, can you turn around so I can only see your back?” Feliciano asked sweetly, the Alpha was huge in size, wearing a fancy corset that was obviously obstructing his breathing. The poor man looked like he was going to pass out from the lack of oxygen, he obliged. Feliciano took this opportunity to kick the man in the buttocks, snickering at the little whimper he made. “Don’t come into my palace in the middle of a rut. It’s so unflattering” Feliciano muttered coldly to the man.

He was carried to the next Alpha, who looked about sixty years of age with a long, white beard. Feliciano just rolled his eyes and gestured the female Alpha to carry him onto the next. With each Alpha Feliciano picked on, King Roma felt more and more embarrassed to acknowledge that Feliciano was in fact, the prince of this kingdom and his grandson. Once they had reached the end of all the Alphas, Feliciano pushed himself out the female’s grip and skipped back up the palace steps and into his throne.

“So, Feliciano…” King Roma asked anxiously, “What do you think? Do any of these Alpha’s enlighten you?” Feliciano exaggeratedly yawned and eyed them off a final time. “Hmm…..nah. You are all dismissed. Next please!” Feliciano cried. He watched as the female Alpha’s face sunk; she looked so certain Feliciano was going to marry her. King Roma was fuming, but tried to remain calm.

“…….I can’t…..let’s continue this tomorrow afternoon….I’m so ashamed. My pride has been bruised. This kingdom’s pride has been bruised. Feliciano Vargas. It is a disgrace to have you as a grandson” King Roma murmured breathlessly. “Your highness!” “Shut up men. It’s…I need a drink, mio dio I need a drink….” He growled, stumbling out his throne and slowly walking back to his chambers.

Feliciano’s chest swelled with both pride and horror at these words. He has all afternoon! He can go to Ludwig and together, if they’re not too busy, perhaps they could go hunting again. But…he had to go through so many lengths to earn that freedom. In a way, it was a fair payment. Feliciano overlooked the kingdom from his balcony laughing a little at the chorus of groans and complains of all the Alphas who had lined up all morning now being dismissed abruptly. They looked like ants, slowly marching back to their homes and cursing as they went. Feliciano swung his legs over the balcony and began his long climb down the palace wall to see Ludwig again.

He had no regrets breaking the hearts of ten Alphas if it meant spending the day with a certain one.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's getting hot in here. There's some Gerita smut in this chapter, just warning you.

As soon as Feliciano had escaped the palace gardens and was safe behind the hedge wall, he pulled out his precious dagger and cut the corset away. He didn’t care if Roderich was going to have a fit the next time he saw him, he honestly couldn’t breathe properly with it on.  It wasn’t like his outfit needed that extra article of clothing anyway. Content, he let out a long breath and allowed his little pudge of stomach to poke out again. It wasn’t like Ludwig was going to mind that his hips were sticking out unflatteringly.

Feliciano stretched for a few moments, letting the soreness of the corset leave his body, and then started following the trail he had marked on his many adventures out the palace walls. This time however, when the last of the ‘X’s written on the trees was found; he used his dagger again to carve a new symbol on the trees leading to Ludwig’s house. Feliciano would use his dagger to shave away the bark on the trees that lead past the backs of the market buildings and would carve a heart into the wood. Finally, he reached the back of Ludwig’s workshop and abruptly stopped.

There were two things that stopped him: First, the familiar churning in his stomach and fluttering in his chest. Then the feeling of overwhelming, hot tingling flushes in his chest, face and groin. Ludwig’s scent suddenly grew much, much stronger than usual. It smelt sweet, almost like cinnamon in a way, with a little bit of spice that hit his sinuses. The smell and the warmth of his body was giving him an agonizingly strong urge to just have Ludwig by his side. His Alpha scent, his Alpha knot…everything he always despised in the palace was growing to be something he desired, but could only be given to him by Ludwig and Ludwig alone. He was entering preheat already.

However, Feliciano wasn’t going to let that factor interrupt his day with Ludwig, no. After all he just went through; he would give anything to be with Ludwig right now. It was like whenever he was near; he didn’t need to be uptight and dainty. The palace didn’t exist and neither did his responsibilities.

The second thing that stopped him was the abnormal smell of cake and bread wafting through Ludwig’s workshop; freshly made of that. Last time Feliciano was here, Ludwig couldn’t even afford to have spices on the rabbit they had eaten together. This meant, if Ludwig was baking now, his living conditions have become a little better than they were before. That thought alone made Feliciano smile a little in hope for Ludwig. Feliciano waltzed up to Ludwig’s door and knocked triumphantly, awaiting a response. Ludwig opened the door after a moment’s hesitation and smiled warmly at Feliciano.

“…it’s you again…I knew you would come back again sometime” Ludwig whispered, as if it was a thought he had read aloud that Feliciano wasn’t supposed to hear. “Would you like to come inside? I was baking just before and now I’ve left the food to cool. Aha…I was thinking perhaps we could go for a picnic somewhere. You had always mentioned you enjoyed leaving the town, after all. We could find a nice, quiet little spot and spend some quality time with each other. No bumping into each other by coincidences.”

Feliciano gasped at the sight of the building now. Within a day, already Ludwig had managed to fix it up to be less disgusting as it was before. The flooring was washed and polished, the disturbing pile of dust and straw had been swept out, the fireplace had been cleaned and now, Ludwig even had a better bed now: an old curtain that hung between one side of the outer fireplace wall and the wall opposite as a makeshift hammock. Anything was better than just the cold floor and rags.

“Oh wow! You’ve really cleaned this place up since I was here last! I was only gone for a few hours!” Feliciano praised, swiping a finger across the floor and smiling at how no dust seemed to stay on his fingertip. “Uh, ja! After you left, four men came in to have their swords sharpened. They paid me well. It was just like you said, Feliciano. People are finally coming in for my services!” Ludwig spoke cheerily, it seemed like the light in his eyes was finally returning. “I have a plan, actually. Only yesterday I found a crack in the ceiling, so I went to investigate. I climbed a tree outside and found a crack in the roof which revealed a hidden room that had been completely sealed off. So tomorrow, I was thinking of hacking into it and turning it into a bedroom. It’s a tad awkward to get dressed, bathe and sleep in the same room I work in, after all” Ludwig announced. Feliciano clapped his hands together happily and hugged Ludwig tightly. “That’s excellent news, Luddy! Finally, a room of your own! That’s bound to be relieving for you!” Feliciano spoke merrily.

A wave of heat flushed through his body upon contact with Ludwig and it seems, he wasn’t the only one who felt it. Ludwig uncharacteristically leaned in and took a deep whiff of Feliciano’s neck, then another, and another. Soon, he began to kiss at Feliciano’s neck and heave hungry breaths against his jaw. “L-Ludwig…we should go for that picnic now!” Feliciano suggested, pulling away before he let Ludwig do anything to him. Ludwig groaned and pulled away disappointingly, but understood what Feliciano had really meant.

“J-ja…let’s gather some food then, shall we? I have baked a loaf of bread and made a carrot cake. There’s still some meat left from yesterday I’ve kept clean. We can have sandwiches by the ocean cliffs, if you would like to” Ludwig murmured, his voice trailing off as he pulled out a somewhat dusty basket weaved from straw. Suddenly, the realization hit. “Luddy? Is that basket by any chance…?” “Made from the straw in the corner? Ja. I felt it would be wasteful to toss it into the fire” Ludwig answered for Feliciano with a small smile.

He carefully wrapped up the carrot cake in a cloth smudged with ash, then slipped the bread into the basket. Ludwig had been preparing for this day it seems, as he also had sliced the meat before wrapping it in another ashy cloth prior to Feliciano’s meeting. Once the basket was set, he carried it out and loaded it into the old wooden cart sat idly by his old mule. Feliciano looked sympathetic for the creature used for pulling the cart; it had lumps on its shoulders, flies pestering its eyes and tail but worst of all, was the sight of the hooves, chipped and worn away so much, Feliciano was worried they would fall off.

“Guten Aben, Greta…” Ludwig murmured to the old donkey. It didn’t even stir to Ludwig’s words and instead braced itself for the wooden wagon to be attached to its body. “Sit in the passenger seat, Feli. I will get her going” Ludwig instructed, gesturing to the long wooden seat in front of the reins. Feliciano eagerly bounded onto the wooden wagon, after shifting around in his seat for a few uncomfortable minutes, and waited for Ludwig to settle down next to him.

With a snap of the reins, the wagon came to life, the wheels crunched against the stone pebbles underneath Greta’s hooves and the wagon began to bump against the road. Feliciano jumped at first at the sudden movement; it felt like one of the wheels was loose, but at the speed Greta was walking, the speed wouldn’t affect them if the wagon crashed. Ludwig looked away bashfully and lifted his arm up, clearing his throat a little to get Feliciano’s attention again after he peered over the edge of the wagon.

“I…uh….did you want to curl under my arm while we ride?” Ludwig asked awkwardly with reddened cheeks. Feliciano blushed and nodded quickly, slithering underneath Ludwig’s arm and letting his hands rest on Ludwig’s chest, snuggling into him as the wagon left the kingdom’s gates. As he did so, the vibration from the wagon and the overwhelming scent coming from Ludwig was making him squirm in his seat. He could feel a familiar dampness in his underwear and the hot tingling started to completely take over his lower body, causing him to involuntarily quiver against Ludwig. Ludwig on the other hand, seemed like he was clenching his jaw and gripping the reins tightly; he mouth hung open, letting out shallow breaths as the wagon moved through the forest. It seems the scent Feliciano was giving him was starting to react with his Alpha behaviour.

Feliciano nuzzled in further to Ludwig, gripping on tightly as the wagon finally started to come out of the woods and stopped in from of a field full of daisies. Ludwig tugged on the reins again and forced Greta to a stop in front of a tree.  “Woah there, Greta! Time to tie you up now” Ludwig spoke soothingly to his mule, which let out a heaved breath and stayed put.

Ludwig slid out of the wooden chair, scrunching up his face a little when his feet hit the soft earth below, then opened his hand to Feliciano. “Grab the picnic basket. I know of a nice place above this hill” Ludwig spoke softly. Feliciano pulled the basket out from the back of the wagon, held onto it tightly and took Ludwig’s hand, smiling as he took Ludwig’s rough hand and allowed him to step off the wagon and sink his feet firmly into the soft green grass. “Feli, you look a little flushed. Do you have a fever?” Ludwig asked as they trudged through the grass hand in hand. “Ah…no…? No, I’m just blushing is all. My heart is pounding wildly just by holding your hand…this place that you’re taking me, is it pretty?” Feliciano asked sweetly, skipped ahead of Ludwig a little and trying to pull him along, however, he seemed content to stay at the pace he was going.

Ludwig was starting to walk a little slower than normal; his eyebrows were knitted together in concentration as he paced himself with deep breaths. “Luddy? Are you okay?” “Ja. I am fine. It’s just by leg is acting up again is all. There’s no need to worry” Ludwig groaned, forcing himself to keep up. Feliciano didn’t think much of it and kept walking on ahead to where the ground was split off by a cliff-face, overlooking the ocean below. “I-is this where you wanted to show me?” Feliciano asked eagerly. The warmth of the sun and the smell of sea salt almost made Feliciano forget all his responsibilities tied with being the prince of the Roman kingdom.

There was a soft crunch of flowers and grass behind him. Feliciano looked behind him to where Ludwig was, on his knees, panting for air. “Oh! Mio Dio, Luddy!” Feliciano cried. He rushed to his side within a heartbeat, watching as Ludwig’s face scrunched up and a few small tears slipped down his cheeks. “I-I’m so sorry, Feli. I’ll get up right away…I’m just…I can’t run or walk up hills very well on t-this leg…I’m in so much pain…” Ludwig shakily apologised through soft gasps. Feliciano sat down next to Ludwig and began picking the small daisies that dotted the soft grass. “It’s okay. There’s no flowers on the top of the hill. I think here is a better spot” He replied quietly, stroking away one of the tears from Ludwig’s face. Inside his eyes, there was a look of hurt and comfort; like Ludwig was having a battle within himself whether or not to continue apologizing or to be comforted by Feliciano’s words. He chose the latter. “Danke…”

Ludwig opened the basket and pulled out the bread, still warm from the windowsill. “…Verdammt. I forgot a knife…Feli, did you bring your dagger?” Ludwig asked quickly. Feliciano felt around his pant pockets and sighed sadly. “No. Sorry, Luddy. It isn’t a huge drama if we just pull it apart with our fingers is it?” Feliciano asked. Ludwig shook his head and began to tear away at the bread, using his fingertips to attempt to pull apart the bread in even strips. His nails dug into the warm bread and pulled away when he had successfully torn two pieces for Feliciano. “Here” Ludwig held out his hand with the bread in it, to which, Feliciano took willingly and pulled out the sliced meat and placed it in between the slices, taking a huge bite.

The meat tasted a tad smoky from when he burned it during that time…that time….Feliciano’s cheeks flushed at the memory. The hot, tingly throbbing in his riding pants was starting to become even worse with the memory. Think of something else, Feliciano, think of something else! Feliciano lowered his sandwich onto his lap and curiously pulled the fabric of Ludwig’s pant leg up, looking at the beaten metal pole again with a look of hurt.

“…..” “…..”

“….it’s disgusting isn’t it? You don’t want to keep looking at it” Ludwig attempted to pull the pant leg back down again, but was stopped by Feliciano. “No. It’s not disgusting, Luddy. I was just curious to see it again…to see where it hurts…so I can make it better somehow” Feliciano replied softly. Ludwig loosened his grip and looked towards the daisies on the ground, blowing peacefully in the wind. “You can’t. Nobody can and nobody could” Ludwig whispered hoarsely. The pain in Ludwig’s voice left an unsettling churn in Feliciano’s stomach. He was cursing himself for asking, but he really was curious. “How did you lose your leg, Ludwig?” Feliciano asked shakily, picking away at the grass between them.

Ludwig looked into the sun for the longest time, taking deep shuddering breaths and threading his fingers through the soft grass. “I-in my kingdom…as soon as Alpha males hit puberty, they are tested for strength to become potential knights to serve our king” Ludwig explained softly, picking at the grass with his nails idly. “My bruder und I, we were chosen to become knights and we spent our adolescent years training for combat. I was so close…I was so close to graduating and joining him in knighthood. The night before the graduation ceremony…we took a walk our steeds through the mountains” Ludwig took a shaky breath and ran his fingers through his hair, “…it was late…we were walking down a steep, rocky path…when my horse lost its footing. And I fell with it. I can’t remember what happened after that, except waking up in my bed with half my leg missing.” Ludwig paused and looked to Feliciano sadly.

“The doctors told me I had landed on a stone that had split my leg in half upon landing, that when they opened up my leg, my bone resembled shattered glass in the sense chunks of it were sticking up and could not be fixed. They told me it was useless for me to become a knight with my brother, and that I was now wasted potential of an Alpha” Ludwig started choking up a little, “I can still remember the disappointment my opa felt for me. Being bound to a wooden wheelchair, what use was I now? He suggested I take up the role as a blacksmith, as that was a common job in our kingdom. I grew sick of being bound to a chair while everyone was free to walk and run freely. Gilbert was favoured more now because he was actually out there, defending our kingdom. But I? Nein, I was now a burden. My family still consider me a burden. Even when I made this leg, my family still consider me a burden” “-But you’re not!” Feliciano cut in. Ludwig blinked and saw Feliciano staring back at him with glossy eyes.

“y-you’re not a burden, Ludwig. Please stop thinking so lowly of yourself! You don’t need to be physically strong to be considered strong in my eyes. I think you’re one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. I-I find myself very attracted to you”

“Feli…!” Ludwig’s eyes softened and he leaned in to Feliciano, stroking his cheek as he kissed him tenderly. Ludwig was about to pull away before Feliciano moaned against his lips and forced his tongue through. Instinct burned through Feliciano’s veins, pulsated in hot waves and made him grind against Ludwig’s groin, pinning him to the ground and licking his ear. “Haa….L-Luddy…I-I need you so badly right now…mio dio!” Feliciano moaned between passionate kisses. Ludwig didn’t respond, instead placed a hand to Feliciano’s cheek. “You’re in heat right now, aren’t you?” Ludwig asked with a voice full of concern.

Despite having Feliciano grind and leave heavy, lingering kisses across his neck, Ludwig wasn’t feeling anything pleasurable. Feliciano let out a long, soft whine and snuggled desperately against Ludwig’s chest. “Please, Luddy…o-oh dio…I-I need it so badly! Your k-knot! Give it to me!” Feliciano mewled, shakily unbuttoning Ludwig’s shirt. Ludwig grabbed Feliciano’s hands and sat up abruptly. “Feli! We can’t…not here…I know of a cave underneath this cliff, I can help you. However, you need to promise me this: we will not mate today. Do I make myself clear?” Ludwig instructed, holding onto Feliciano’s wrists tightly. Feliciano moaned and started sucking the wrists hungrily. Right now, he didn’t care about whatever was going to happen; all he needed was Ludwig there, helping him.

“S-Si…t-take me there…” Feliciano whined desperately against Ludwig. They both sat up, and, being led by Ludwig’s tight grip, Feliciano let himself be led slowly up the hill, where a small spiral of jagged rocks led down like a staircase into the mouth of a small cave. Ludwig hand to briefly let go of Feliciano to clutch onto the stones as he carefully lowered himself down, ensuring that the surface damp with sea salt wasn’t going cause his prosthetic leg to slip from the grip he had. Feliciano on the other hand, followed behind him with quivering hands and sweat beading on his forehead. It was a hefty climb down, but they both landed into the mouth of the cave successfully.

The cave looked more like a hideout than a natural cave. The flooring of the cave was covered in stalagmites sticking upwards proudly. Inside the cave, there was a hoard of all sorts of equipment: pickaxes, shovels and ropes; perhaps originally intended for the cave to be mined. “…Feli…I’m sorry for doing this…” Ludwig murmured. He picked up the rope and, despite Feliciano’s pleas, forced him against a thick stalagmite, using his body to keep Feliciano in place while his hands worked behind him to tie him up. Once Ludwig had completed, he looked down at Feliciano, now sitting on the floor with his arms and upper torso firmly tied against the stone.

“Haa….haa….Luddy? what was that for?” Feliciano panted desperately. Ludwig crouched down next to him and stroked his cheek. “So there is no way you can physically mate with me. You’re not thinking straight about this, Feli. Your instincts may yearn for it, but what about our lives? What happens when the heat ends and you go back to normal? It is a huge step. We’ve only known each other for two days. You may feel ready, but it just isn’t practicable! So, I’m going to help you like this, without any penetration” Ludwig replied stiffly. Feliciano threw his head back and growled with frustration, tears prickling in his eyes from the desperation. “…Okay Feli, I’m going to start by touching you now, is that okay? Tell me if I’m doing anything uncomfortable” Ludwig warned.

Feliciano bit his lip as Ludwig slowly pulled down his pants and silk underpants, pulling them down just to his ankles while examining Feliciano’s flushed head. Feliciano looked at Ludwig with glazed eyes, eagerly awaiting his first move. Upon looking at it for a few brief moments, Ludwig took it into his rough palms, stroking it up and down vigorously. Feliciano writhed against the binds holding him back from just tackling Ludwig to the ground. His Alpha scent was driving him crazy, not to mention the fast paced movements of his rough hands grazing down his sensitive skin.

“No…no! Ludwig! I-I’m so hot…I need you~ I need your knot inside me right now!~” Feliciano whined, kicking and moving his legs pathetically to attempt to thrust upwards. Ludwig ignored his pleas, instead continued moving his hands, using his left thumb to palm the head while the other one continued to stroke Feliciano. “I’m helping you. Please understand, I’m holding myself back for you. Your thought process has been muddled up by the heat” Ludwig murmured, refraining from stroking Feliciano and instead focused on rubbing deep circles into the slit, “How long does your heat usually last?” Feliciano pressed his head back against the stone in pleasure, biting his lip and panting. He was so close.

Within a few seconds of the question being asked, Feliciano cried in pleasure as he came and spilled into Ludwig’s hands and his pants. “…..haaa….i-it usually lasts two days f-for me…” Feliciano replied after a moment to catch his breath. Ludwig bashfully untied Feliciano and looked away. “T-there. That should hold you off for a few hours at most. Just in time to get you home” Ludwig trailed off. Feliciano looked down to Ludwig’s crouch, noticing the bulge sticking up awkwardly; Ludwig had also caught sight of it and purposely leaned in to attempt to cover it. “Let’s wait for a little while. But not for too long. I’ve read somewhere that Omega heats come in hourly waves so for now, we’re safe” Ludwig spoke quickly. Feliciano hastily pulled up his underpants and buttoned his trousers. “Hey, Luddy? Can we finish the picnic?” “…Ja”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ehuehue. This chapter's particularly smutty in taste. In this fic, here's how the heats work:  
> Kind of like a craving for a food that won't let up. When you've had a bit, it can hold you off for a little while, but the craving will come back after a while and when it does, it hits hard.

That incident….it really held him off for an hour, just as Ludwig had said. The whole time, as they pretended nothing had happened and munched on their sandwiches, Ludwig had become uncharacteristically bolder in affection than he was before. Slow, intense kisses against Feliciano’s lips and neck, his hands slowly stroked against his cheeks. Feliciano knew it was because his Alpha hormones were acting up just as his was flaring up with an undeniable desire to take in all of Ludwig.

But…unlike any Alpha Feliciano had met, Ludwig was considerate and acknowledged that he didn’t feel ready to commit to a promise so heavy. They couldn’t escalate things so brashly. Despite the awkward sexual tension hanging over their heads, they managed to ignore their sinful desires and struck up peaceful small talk, platted flowers into daisy chains and ate cake on the field. Feliciano could only wish his heat hadn’t of come as an unwelcome guest.

“Are you certain you don’t need to be escorted back? You are vulnerable as you are now. It would be dangerous to leave you in the middle of a heat like this” Ludwig insisted, stopping Greta in front of his workshop once again. Feliciano shook his head dazedly, the cold, twilight breeze blew against his pants, reminding him of his disgusting Omega traits, cold and wet against his backside. “No…no I think I’ll be okay. I’ve gone out in a heat before” Feliciano reassured, awkwardly swinging side to side on his toes on Ludwig’s porch. He found moving his body slightly helped with the unbearable feeling of lust pulsating through his body. Ludwig held onto the door frame anxiously, unconvinced.

“…If you insist. I ah…I don’t know if it will be of any use…but I have this for you…” Ludwig murmured, reaching into his pocket for something. He pulled out a filthy handkerchief, one that Feliciano could have sworn was white originally, now blackened and stained with ash and who knows what else. Feliciano took it, staring at it in awe. “Grazie…?” “I…aha…I use this handkerchief to wipe the sweat and ash from my brow when I work. I thought, knowing Omegas, sometimes objects containing the smell of an Alpha helps in these times” Ludwig explained awkwardly, looking away with an evident blush on his cheeks. “Oh. How thoughtful! Grazie, Luddy!” Feliciano beamed, tucking the handkerchief in his own pocket, “Well, I’ll be going now~ B-but! As soon as my heat ends, I’ll pop in and say hello!” Ludwig smiled warmly and nodded slowly. “Sehr gut. I look forward to you returning again! Please, take care on your way back” Ludwig replied, clutching onto the doorframe as Feliciano started to walk away on shaky legs.

Ludwig had a look of desperation in his eyes, like he was watching Feliciano walk away forever, yet he knew it was only going to be two days. As Feliciano walked away, he occasionally turned around to find Ludwig still standing in the doorframe by the lantern-light. Feliciano made a painful whine; he legs screamed at him to turn around and let his instincts take over, however, Ludwig did have a point. If he was to be claimed now, what was to happen? Feliciano started to run; sprinting faster than his legs could carry him to stop him from turning back.

As soon as he hit the palace gates, the guards knew instantly what was happening. Nobody could deny that smell, the feverish look on Feliciano’s face, the dampness in his trousers; Feliciano was without a doubt, on heat again. “Your highness! Is it time again?” Yao’s asked quickly, walking with Feliciano as he waddled down the hall to his chamber. “S-Si! Si, it’s happening! P-please, don’t let anyone come in, tell everyone who wishes to speak to me to knock on the door first..mio dio, MIO DIO THIS IS UNBEARBLE!” Feliciano complained through a frustrated moan. Yao nodded, jotting down every order on a small scroll at the speed of sound.

“Your highness, I will ensure nobody disrupts you during this time” Yao reassured, opening the door to Feliciano’s chamber, “Please. Relax, don’t worry too much. Our brave, reputable King Roma will likely postpone the next selection day until your well. I hope you get better soon” Feliciano nodded, out of breath and shut the door on Yao without another word, locking the door behind him. Heat room. Mio dio, the heat room. Feliciano sprinted to the heat room discarding all his clothing onto the floor and diving into his nest.

His nest was really just a pile of soft blankets and pillows, with bottles of oils shelved on the wall. There was a wooden pommel horse in the corner of the room for the specific reason of humping against it, as it helped simulate the feeling of grinding against an Alpha’s body. Feliciano never really used it, until now. Pressing Ludwig’s handkerchief to his nose, he took a deep whiff of his manly scent and imagined Ludwig using it. Ludwig wiping his toned, sweaty body beside the heat of the fireplace as he twisted and shaped metal, Ludwig using it against that strong jawline, down his neck, his abs…Feliciano couldn’t help himself. With his desperate, fumbling fingers, he yanked down a bottle of oil and began to slicken his length, moaning as he rocked his body with the movements of his hand. He walked over to the pommel horse, grinding against it slowly and passionately as his mind still continued to conjure lewd images of Ludwig.

He imagined him grinding his body against his, nibbling down his neck before finally entering his twitching hole and pounding into his body. The rhythm of his movements, in and out, in and out. “F-Feli! I can’t hold out much longer, gott, I can’t-“  Ludwig would moan, their bodies slamming together in a filthy twist of sweaty limbs. “Ludiwg!, mio dio, Ludwig! Give me everything you have!” Feliciano’s mouth hung open as he mouthed the words breathlessly against the grinding against the pommel horse. His mind imagined the intense feeling of Ludwig’s knot swelling inside him, the noise he would make when he finally released inside. The thought alone made Feliciano mewl in pleasure as his movements sped up a final time in a desperate frenzy before feeling his release. Feliciano cried as he spilled against the pommel horse, the intense feeling amplified by the heat that sweltered in his body. “haa….mio dio, Luddy….I wish you were here...”

He was there in spirit. Once the last slab of thick metal fell against the idle chimney, Ludwig slid against the filthy brick wall, his heart pounding wildly. Was it from exhaustion? Or the overwhelming scent of virginal heat that invaded his sinuses? “Feli…” he mumbled quietly in response to his own question. He could feel an unfamiliar throbbing in his groin, like it was a drum calling to Feli that just wouldn’t let up until it was firmly knotted inside him. Ludwig slapped himself and tried to ignore the urge; Feli wouldn’t accept it after it was done.

In this tiny workshop where he stood, there was an empty feeling seeping inside his chest. A yearning for a certain Omega’s presence to be here now, as his mind traced back the memories they had made. Ludwig’s mind automatically started conjuring images of Feli. The way he’d smile, his laugh, his cries of pleasure, his moaning. Ludwig grit his teeth and scanned over the small, empty workshop; there were no cracks that he could see of that anybody could peer through. The walls weren’t paper thin either; whoever had built this place must have intended it to be soundproof for the neighbours who had to tolerate the sound of metal clanging against stone. The desire was growing unbearable; as long as he was quick…

His hips grew more taunt to his strokes; Ludwig was on his knees like an animal, violently stroking his length as he imagined Feli in lewd positions, writhing at his every touch. His breath came in ragged pants and the occasional grunt when his rough fingertips brushed his flushed head. If working as a blacksmith had its benefits, it was the years’ worth of toiling that made his hands more course, allowing more friction on his shaft. Ludwig cast his head down and his body ceased up in pleasure with one final stoke that left him breathless.  The excitement finally stopped buzzing at the back of his head and his mind crept back into reality.

Feli wasn’t there with him. Ludwig had only met Feli two days ago and already he has made him delusional with lust and desire. Could it be? He had finally found his mate? Ludwig cast his half lidded eyes to the sticky mess below him; grimacing at the sight of his seed, glistening on the floorboards and seeping into the cracks like water through a drain. It wasn’t fair. He wondered, if Feli wasn’t on heat and he caught sight of him now, what would he be thinking? Would he still be willing to stay with him? Nein. Especially not if he had learned of what Ludwig had just done, like an animal desperate for relief. His seed continued to glint in the moonlight, reminding Ludwig of his loneliness, his shame, his disgusting nature; he painstakingly started wiping it up, cursing under his breath as he did so.

Despite everything he had done, his instincts still remained as strong as ever. It made Ludwig want to writhe and twist his body in an attempt to release all the tension that had built up in his body. His bones screamed, his mouth was watering; his rut would only be satisfied this way for a short time. As he pushed himself up from the floor, there was a chorus of chanting from outside that caught Ludwig's attention. "Rid the sin, rid the traitor!" it sounded like it was coming closer and closer. Cautiously, Ludwig peered through one of the cracks in the wall to find a parade of villagers, torches and pitchforks in hand, marching to his home. They found out! 

Ludwig sprinted out the door. "Get him! Get that vile man from the Germanic Kingdom!" A woman shrieked. A barrage of stones and bricks pelted against Ludwig's body with a cheerful chorus of the Roman Kingdom's anthem. Ludwig grit his teeth in pain as he was forced to run on his bad leg to escape the men who were going to give a chase. Ludwig could hear the metal squeaking in his boot, threatening to snap at any moment as he sprinted away. Despite having lost the ability to run for the past few years, Ludwig's speed and endurance still held as strong as it was when he was training to be a knight.

He sprinted through the trees and bushes, never looking back until he was at a safe distance away. Oh how he wished he hadn't of looked back. He turned around at the sound of Greta's distressed cries that seemed to echo through the muffled cheers, let out a primal shriek, then go abruptly silent among the ocean of cheers. Ludwig's heart sank when he spotted the orange glow illuminating from the trees that seemed to be growing brighter and brighter by the second. They had killed Greta and was now burning his house to the ground; And Ludwig knew exactly why. 

Feliciano grimaced as he pulled away from the wooden pommel horse, now sticky and slippery from his seed and sank into his nest of blankets, wiping his eyes from the frustrated tears prickling in his eyes. There was a pounding from behind his door which startled him from his moments of post orgasmic bliss. “You have permission to speak!” Feliciano whined from the back of his throat. The voice was hesitant. “This is Wang Yao. Ahh…the king has informed me to tell you that your chosen Alpha is standing outside your chamber to mate with you now. Whenever you’re ready, open the door and walk him into the heat room. His name is Arthur Kirkland, he is a 22 year old foreigner who owns the potion shop in the marke-“ “Yao. Get out. I-I need to be alone…” Yao sighed and turned away. “As you wish, your highness” Yao replied coldly. Feliciano’s ear twitched at the sound of footsteps growing more distant, before the door to his room was closed.

In that one instance, Feliciano could have sworn he had forgotten how to breathe, or to emote in any other way than horror. An Alpha was waiting for him and it wasn’t Ludwig. He should have known it was going to happen soon. By the way King Roma had reacted earlier in the day at the selection event, Feliciano wasn’t surprised he was fed up with him by now. He could smell the Alpha through the door to his heat room and the door to his chamber. He was most definitely in a rut. The scent he had was unlike Ludwig’s, there was an odd smell, similar to that of hot caramel that seemed to waft through the room. It made Feliciano sick. It was far too sweet for his liking. He opened the door slowly, peering his head around the room to check if the Alpha hadn’t of snuck into his chamber. He let out a sigh of relief when he found his room to be bare of any Alphas.

“Uh…Hello, love? Are you there? Look, I’m sorry if I come off as intimidating…I really don’t mean to…is it alright if I come in?” a muffled, foreign voice came through the door. This man sounded like he was from one of the smaller towns in the Germanic kingdom. Feliciano didn’t trust him at all, despite his gentlemanly nature. “N-no! Stay behind that door!” Feliciano shrieked, backing away to the window. He had a plan. He was going to run away. Run away and forget his responsibilities, his name, and his life. This was not living. Sure he may have luxury, but he didn’t have freedom; he didn’t have Ludwig.

“…Look. I understand. I’m not ready either. If I’m being honest, I’m in love with somebody else. I don’t want to be here; I was picked up off the street and thrown into this mess. I understand if you’re not comfortable. I won’t do anything you don’t want to” the voice continued. Feliciano paused and sat in front of the door hesitantly. “Do you…? What are they like?” Feliciano asked quietly. He could hear the Alpha’s feet shuffle behind the door and settle down to sit behind the wood. “He has blonde hair, like wheat. Soft blue eyes…the colour of the sky…I miss him terribly…he is my everything. I haven’t mated with him yet, but my god when I do…” his voice trailed a little into a small whimper. Feliciano’s mind wandered straight to Ludwig at the description. It seemed Arthur was just as dedicated and faithful as he was to his partner.

“…I too have somebody already” Feliciano spoke anxiously, swallowing a nervous gulp. It didn’t sound like Arthur was all that shocked, if Feliciano was being honest. “Well come on, what’s his name? What does he look like? I’m stuck here until you’re claimed, but of course, neither of us wants to. It looks like we’re going to be here a while” Arthur spoke in boredom. Feliciano’s mouth twitched up in a small, pained smile, resting his head against the door with a sigh. “He’s strong and sometimes a little scary, but at the same time, there’s a passion that just…draws me to him, you know? I’ve only met him two days ago, but I’m so in love with him. It doesn’t make sense. He has blonde hair scraped back and eyes that are blue too; although I’d say they look a little more grey than blue…I love him, Arthur. I love him and he loves me. Mio dio I need him here now…” Feliciano couldn’t help the warm tears that rolled down his cheeks in short gasps of his breath.

“I saw the exterior of the palace before I came here. The vines leading down your chamber, they should be strong enough to hold you right?” Feliciano gasped and clasped his hands to his mouth. “No! No! Please don’t tell nonno! If I lost that…I wouldn’t be able to see Ludwig again! Please, oh mio dio please don’t-I love him so much, please don’t!“

“Ludwig, huh? The filthy blacksmith on the edge of town? Interesting choice. Don’t you know he’s on the run right now? He is a traitor to our kingdom and now, this kingdom knows about it too. Well, if living the life of a criminal is what you enjoy…Don’t worry. You’re secret’s safe with me. No, what I’m suggesting is for you to escape now while you have the chance. I can pretend I’m still talking to you so you can get out of here” Arthur replied quickly. Feliciano felt his heart stop in his chest at that moment. It was like any feeling of sadness that was coursing through his aching body had vanished completely. Yet at the same time, it was replaced with a new feeling: anxiety. A traitor to his kingdom? On the run? Feliciano was anxious as to what was going to happen.

“You’re stuck in a similar situation as me, after all. You can thank me later. Go. Go chase that Alpha and never let others hold you back” Arthur’s voice came determined through the door. Feliciano stood up, his legs quivering, from the heat? Or the sheer happiness from being told he can be free. He quickly slipped on a loose fitting collared shirt and a pair of pants. He didn’t care that he wasn’t wearing any boots. He couldn’t spend another minute in this suffocating room. “G-Grazie, Arthur! Grazie!” Feliciano cried, on wobbly legs he sprinted to the window, swinging open the door and swinging his legs over the balcony before even checking to see if he had a safe footing.

Did he care that he fell from the window and had the air knocked out of his lungs? No. Did he care that he could feel bruises forming on his legs? Not at all. He groaned and sat up, shakily gripping a wall and staggering through the palace gardens. When the aching in his legs had faded enough, Feliciano started to sprint to the edge of the garden, barrelling his body through the hedge that obstructed him from complete freedom. After a small brawl with the twigs and leaves that made a final effort to keep this crazy prince from seeing his lover again, Feliciano was finally free. F

eliciano winced at the small stinging pain against his left cheek, brushing his fingertips over lightly; he pulled them back and found a light smear of blood. For a brief moment, he wondered how his Omega in waiting, Kiku Honda, would act upon seeing this new wound. Not that it mattered anymore. He was tired of having such plump, soft skin, devoid of any form of struggle. He was tired of being constantly protected and dressed like a doll, being forced to act like a perfect Omega; he was tired of being a prince. He took one last look behind him; at the life he had once had and sprinted faster than his legs could take him. He ran even when his legs screamed to take a break. He ran even though his bare feet were painful against the sticks and stones through the woods. Through the trees, Feliciano could see the soft glow of flames licking the trees. Someone’s house was on fire, in the direction of the trees he had marked. He followed the path of hearts he had carved into the trees, smirking a little at the irony now that the symbol he had chosen that day to represent his path to Ludwig made much more sense to him now. And it seemed, he wasn’t the only one following this path.

Ludwig was only a few meters away, hidden in between the trees with a look of desperation in his face. Behind him, if Feliciano could squint, he could see Ludwig’s workshop, now ablaze in a roaring fire with smoke weaving through the splits of the trees. Omega and Alpha locked eyes with each other and, like there was no force at all to hold them back, they ran to each other, leaping into a tight embrace that could never be broken.


	7. Chapter 7

“Ludwig! I-!” “Feli! Let me-!” They both fell silent abruptly, just savouring their embrace for what felt like a century. Ludwig was shivering in Feliciano’s embrace and it wasn’t from the cold. “….Feli…I have something very important I need to tell you” Ludwig murmured, his breath warm against his ear. Feliciano pulled away and gazed into those once unreadable eyes, now red and stinging with pain from the force of the tears threatening to roll from his eyes. Whatever has happened seemed to have taken a toll on Ludwig; all Feliciano could do is listen. In the silence filled with horrified anticipation, Ludwig pulled away from Feliciano, took a shuddering breath and fell to the ground.

“…I can’t stay here any longer. I-My king…has issued war with the Nordic kingdom a-and…They’ve announced their attack the Roman kingdom tomorrow” Ludwig spoke shakily, his lips was wobbling as he continued, “M-my home is in rubble, they took everything…they’re looking for me, Feli. They’ve made an order to exile everyone of Germanic origin. That’s why I’m here, Feli. To say goodbye” Feliciano gasped in horror, knelt down and pulled Ludwig into a tight embrace, crying softly into his neck. “L-Ludwig…take me with you! I-I can help you! I have no purpose here…you see…I don’t want you to go, Ludwig! Not without me!” Feliciano suggested through his tears. There was another long silence, it seemed like both of them were holding their breaths anxiously, as if they were too frightened to say anything.

“…you can’t, Feli!…I…there’s one last thing you don’t know about me. I don’t know how you will respond if I told you the truth…” Ludwig pushed Feliciano away lightly and stroked that soft, tear stained cheek. “It’s okay Ludwig; I’m not scared of what you’ll say. I’m willing to stay with you whatever you tell me!” Feliciano protested, squeezing onto Ludwig’s hand as if letting him go would lose him forever. There was a moment of hesitation before Ludwig pulled Feliciano into an embrace again and leaned into his ear.

“I was once the prince of the Germanic kingdom” he whispered hoarsely.

His heart stopped in his chest, the bloods in his veins grew stale for just one moment as his mind tried to conjure what had just been said to him. “I…I was banished from my kingdom after I lost my leg. I was originally the first to the throne as I was healthier than my brother, Gilbert. My Opa deemed me unfit for ruling and I was sent away. However, I wasn’t without a goal. Nein. I was sent on another mission entirely…” Ludwig let out a shaky breath and looked away painfully, “to infiltrate the Roman kingdom before the attack” Feliciano shoved Ludwig away with a look of fear in his eyes and a lump of fear in his throat. “H-how…? How were you going to do it?” Feliciano whispered shakily.

Ludwig looked like he had received a knife to the chest at the sheer fear in Feliciano’s voice. To avoid gazing into those betrayed eyes, Ludwig walked a few paces away and turned away. “…my bow isn’t only good for shooting rabbits. I was sent to assassinate the king and the prince. My king…my Opa, made up a lie that I was killed in the accident that took my leg. It was an easy cover-up; nobody would suspect the prince of the Germanic kingdom was entering their territory. It would be an easy attack” Ludwig admitted shamefully, “b-but…you speak so highly of this kingdom. Every time I had my arrows poised to strike, all I could see is you. I can’t do it, Feliciano. I love my kingdom but…I love you more. Which is why I’m going to run away and start a clean slate”

Feliciano remained silent and tried to process everything that had been said. None of it made sense. “Ludwig…do you remember the day we met?” Feliciano spoke anxiously, stepping towards Ludwig, “I told you my name was Feli Ciano. An upperclassman with no connection with the prince whatsoever. I lied, Ludwig. I lied to you! I’m-“ “I know, Feli. I’ve always known. I knew the moment you stepped into my workshop. I was supposed to kill you, but I felt myself wanting you, needing you. I can’t do it. You’re the one thing that reminds me there is something good in this world. I’d be more of a monster than a human if I were to slay you” Ludwig replied quickly. Feliciano looked into Ludwig’s eyes desperately, then leaned in, kissing him passionately and never pulling for air. In the movement, they both fell down into the soft moss below, both groaning as their lips crashed together and their tongues lightly prodded against each other’s lips.

Ludwig finally tore himself away, panting for air and smiling regretfully. “Feli…my leg…my leg has broken. And I can no longer go into my workshop. We need to get out of here. Do you have a steed we can use?” Ludwig asked shakily. Before Feliciano could answer his question, his eyes trailed down Ludwig’s leg to the red staining his trousers. At first, Ludwig didn’t seem to notice until he saw Feliciano’s complexion grow dramatically pale. “…I’m bleeding aren’t I?” “S-Si….” Ludwig groaned and sat up, evaluating the red staining his pale trousers. His boot was crumpled, like there was no foot in there at all. His pant leg was bundled up all the way to his thigh, where the stump of his leg was supposed to meet with a perfectly measured prosthetic leg. With a deep breath, Ludwig unzipped his boot and tried to shake it free from the wooden foot he had carved, but grimaced at the feeling. “…It’s in the muscle. Gott…why did I run? I knew the risk. I knew this leg needed to be mended soon…Schieße….!” Ludwig groaned painfully, rolling up his pant leg.

Just as he had said, like a spear, half of his leg had driven up upon snapping in half and was firmly planted deep into Ludwig’s thigh, revealing a big gaping hole that seemed to continuously bleed. “Ludwig…can’t you feel that? D-doesn’t that hurt you at all?” Feliciano asked weakly, retching a little when Ludwig poked the debris of his prosthetic and allowing the blood to flow down a little thicker. “Nein. I have no feeling in this leg…to an extent. It’s scraping against my bone. I can feel that much at least” Ludwig muttered coldly. Feliciano squeaked and turned away when Ludwig firmly grasped the metal pole and, with a shout of pain, yanked it from his body. There was no mishearing the squelching sound it made as the pole fell to the ground with a splatter. Feliciano was almost scared to turn around to the sound of Ludwig inhaling sharply and groaning. “I’m sorry you had to witness that, Feli. I should be fine now, as long as I bandage it” Ludwig murmured, pressing his hands down onto the wound, Feliciano looked at him disbelievingly, he didn’t look phased at all! Feliciano took off his shirt and gasped as the cold air stabbed his bare chest.

If palace life came with useful aspects, it was the weak, easy to tear, clothing. The clothing a prince was forced to wear was more decorative than durable. Feliciano easily tore his shirt in half and promptly began to dress the wound, tying the once white shirt tightly against the wound on Ludwig’s leg. It wasn’t a large wound, really. It was just very deep, which worried Feliciano greatly as he wasn’t sure the shirt, with its material, would be adequate enough to stop the blood flow. “Ludwig, I’m going to get Bella, it ah, it’s going to be tricky…um…Oh! I know! That tree over there” Feliciano frantically gestured to the tree closest that Feliciano could see had branches Ludwig could easily climb onto, “You hold onto those branches and I’ll hold Bella steady for you to get on. She’s usually pretty tame, she might be a little shocked-“

“Feli. I was a knight once. I think I know how to ride a horse” Ludwig chuckled. Despite the devastation of the situation, Ludwig still seemed to have a sense of humor to lighten the mood. Feliciano gave a pained smile and exhaled in appreciation. “Hold onto that tree, try and get as high up as you can, okay? I’ll be back in a flash!” Feliciano instructed, sprinting through the trees. Ludwig watched as he went, then turned to examine the tree closest to him. Thankfully, the tree was very course with spiny branches Ludwig could haul himself onto. It was difficult task however, as with only the assistance of one of his feet made supporting his weight difficult. Ludwig grit his teeth and hugged the tree tightly; the action was awkward to say the least, however he knew Feliciano was going to return soon.

Despite the fresh pounding in his chest, the tingling in his groin and the sweat beading on his forehead, Feliciano insisted on running. The smoke was beginning to become harder to navigate through and Feliciano would occasionally trip up on the tangles of vines on the ground. His heat was starting to course through his body once again; it had only been about half an hour! Surely the time in the heat room was good enough to satisfy him for longer than that! Feliciano whined as his body shuddered in agonising, anticipated pleasure. Ludwig was with him now, he reminded himself quickly, Ludwig needed his help and his heat wasn’t going to stop him! Feliciano screeched to a halt on the outskirts of the stables near the kingdom’s gates. Bella was still there, kicking the dirt and snorting eagerly when she spotted Feliciano from the other side of the courtyard. Just as Feliciano stepped out, the soft rain started to spit onto the ground, resembling falling stars in the illumination of the lantern light on the stable door.

Feliciano looked up to the sky, flinching at the feeling of rain starting to lightly pelt against his face, roll down his body like tears and drip from his fingertips. Whatever the weather, Feliciano wasn’t going to let this moment of surprise distract him from his purpose. He cautiously approached Bella and stroked her mane soothingly. “Bella Ciao…” he greeted her again, guiding the reins onto her long face and tightened the ropes. Feliciano had decided, now really wasn’t the time to put a saddle on Bella; there was no time. Ludwig depended on Feliciano to get him out of the kingdom as quickly as possible. Without wasting any time, Feliciano swung his leg over Bella’s bare back and snapped the reins, cracking Bella into a sprint out of the stables and into the woods. The smoke had gone a much lighter colour, Feliciano had noted as Bella raced in between the trees. He had read somewhere in the palace library that when smoke was going a lighter colour, the fire was being conquered. Perhaps the rain was defending Ludwig’s house when nobody else would. Speaking of Ludwig, he looked up at Feliciano with a relieved look.

“Feli! I don’t think I can hold it much longer, please bring Bella over here” Ludwig yelled out through the drumming rain. Feliciano steered Bella towards the tree, forcing her to a stop at an easy gap between Ludwig and her back. “Ludwig! You should probably use your left leg first” Feliciano instructed loudly through the rain. Ludwig nodded and, very shakily, swung his left leg over Bella’s back and held onto Feliciano tightly. In one awkward movement, Ludwig had miraculously landed firmly on Bella’s back and wrapped himself around Feliciano’s bare chest, holding on tightly.

“Okay, Liebe. Where shall we go?” Ludwig asked, shuffling in his place, he gasped when his crotch pressed firmly against Feliciano’s clothed pants, now sticky and wet from the rain. His Alpha rut was starting to reappear in the worst way. “L-let’s…there’s a cave outside the kingdom…it takes a while to get there, but it should be an easy ride with Bella” Feliciano spoke hoarsely. With a crack of the reins, Bella was off again, her body bouncing Feliciano and Ludwig from the sheer force of her hooves on the ground. They passed the gates and left their old life behind in the dust.

Feliciano wished his heat would just end already. It was growing unbearable with the Bella’s movements, unwillingly grinding his crotch against her back as she ran. However, the worst part of the journey there was Ludwig’s obvious arousal grinding against his backside as he clung onto Feliciano for support. It seems he too was getting the same reaction, panting as the rain slickened their bodies and their instincts burned through their veins. After what felt like hours of running, Bella was starting to slow down to a trot when the cave’s mouth glistened atop a small rocky slope.

Feliciano remembered this cave as being one of the pitstops on the journey to the Baltic kingdom close by, if they were willing to ride for five more hours, they would be there. However, with the downpour pelting against their backs and the tension tightening between them, they both had an unconscious desire to hide in the cave. “L-Ludwig…the cave…the cave is over there!” Feliciano practically wheezed. Ludwig licked his lips and nodded breathlessly, keeping his grip on Feliciano firmly. Feliciano parked Bella in front of a tree close by, slipping off her back and tying her up tightly. All the while Ludwig hopped off her back on one leg and fell backwards onto the ground, groaning as he flipped over onto his back.

“Ludwig! Lean on me!” Feliciano instructed in a panicky tone; he knelt on one knee to allow Ludwig to hook his arm around his shoulders and pulled him up to stand. Together, in an awkward stagger, they climbed up the slippery, rocky slope to the mouth of the cave, their knees giving way as soon as their bodies came in contact with the shelter. Ludwig rolled over, panting, his cheeks dusted with red and his body shuddering at the burning inside his veins. Their clothes were pasted against their bodies and nothing could hide the fact that they both had unwelcome guests, both at different lengths and angles, poking up from their pants.

“L-Ludwig…!” Feliciano murmured, dragging himself over Ludwig’s body and kissing him. Like a vice, Ludwig clutched Feliciano tightly and began to kiss back with a real force behind it. Feliciano whined and writhed as his body burned uncontrollably against his body, grinding down on both their erections. “Feli! Feliciano!” Ludwig gasped in a deep voice, biting Feliciano’s lip softly and forcing his tongue through. Feliciano sent his hands through Ludwig’s soaking wet hair, no longer pulled back, but now damp and tussled into a fringe that brushed his eyebrows.

“Say my name like that again, amore. Say it again and again and again. Don’t stop” Feliciano whispered against Ludwig’s ear, shivering with pleasure. Ludwig growled possessively and started nibbling on Feliciano’s ear lobe, down his neck, to his shoulder. “Feliciano. Gott, Ich Liebe Dich, Feliciano Vargas. I want to claim you, I want to be your Alpha and I want you to be my Omega. I don’t care anymore. I love you so much” Ludwig whimpered against Feliciano’s shoulder. Feliciano regretfully peeled himself off Ludwig, grimacing at the dampness between them both, and began to unbutton Ludwig’s shirt.

“Do it, Ludwig. Claim me. I’m so hot right now, Ludwig. I’m so unbearably hot. I need you right now, Ludwig. Mio dio, the handkerchief wasn’t enough…” Feliciano panted, running a hand down Ludwig’s chiselled chest. His body was littered with scars, but otherwise, his torso was built well; it reminded Feliciano of a horse, with strong, hardworking muscles. Ludwig nodded and licked his lips hungrily, dragging himself to one of the walls of the cave and peeling off his shirt and discarding it into a small, wet pile on the other side of the room. Feliciano followed by his instruction, and hastily took off his pants, until he was left in nothing but his fancy, royal underpants, now see-through with his erection awkwardly bent upwards, straining the material.

Ludwig was of a considerable size; he was a little smaller than Feliciano’s fantasies, but he still craved him nevertheless. Teeth crashed together, tongues dipped into forbidden places all the while through breathy pants and little mewls shared between them both, Feliciano and Ludwig grinded their bodies together. “F-Feli…are you absolutely certain you want it to be me? You realize once I claim you, we’ll be inseparable. This is a big step in our relationship, I understand if you don’t wish for-“ “Ludwig, shush. Haaa….just take me” Feliciano moaned, sucking and biting Ludwig’s chest hungrily.

Ludwig shuddered at the feeling of Feliciano’s teeth grazing his shoulder and aligned himself with Feliciano’s twitching entrance. “Feli…I’ll go gently” Ludwig panted, very carefully, he slowly pushed himself in, pausing halfway through the movement to see Feliciano’s face, scrunched up in pain. “Are you okay, Feli? S-should I stop?” “No, No. It’s just a little uncomfortable…I-I might go crazy right now…haa…Ludwig…please move…!” Feliciano moaned, sinking his nails into Ludwig’s back. Ludwig winced and pushed himself further, flinching a little when Feliciano abruptly threw his head back and cried in pleasure. Feliciano pulled himself up and slammed himself down, gradually speeding up as Ludwig’s length continuously slammed that sweet spot inside of him.

Ludwig gasped sharply and began to grunt as he thrusted his hips to meet with Feliciano’s movements. Feliciano clasped his hand to his mouth, attempting to hide the moans that were spilling from his mouth. “N-nein! Feliciano! Let me hear you, gott, let me hear your beautiful voice…!” Ludwig moaned, his legs wracking as his body forced itself at a faster pace. “Ludwig! Ahhh! Ludwig! I’m so close! This is better than my fantasies, Ludwig! I-I’m so close! Haaaa! L-Ludwig!” Feliciano moaned desperately his body grew weaker and his knees threatening to give way.

The pleasure pulsated through his backside, his crotch, his thighs, making him shudder against Ludwig. In this moment, Feliciano was in a state of euphoria that wasn't going to last. “F-feli….Feliciano!” Ludwig cried. In that instant, his body ceased up as he shuddered through his release, his knot swelling inside of Feliciano so thickly that it was virtually impossible to unlock himself. Feliciano moaned and came onto Ludwig’s chest, whining and panting for air as pleasure shook through his system and his heat seemed to vanish in that one moment of pure bliss.

Ludwig groaned and shuffled himself into a more comfortable position, his head tilted back as he embraced the feeling of his knot firmly inside Feliciano. “….Ludwig…we did it…we actually did it. But now, what’s going to happen?” Feliciano spoke breathlessly, dipping his head into the crook of Ludwig’s neck. “I’m not too sure, Feli. Or should I call you, Feliciano. We are two princes, from two entirely different kingdoms. If we declare ourselves to King Roma and King Gilbert, we should put an end to the attack before it begins. Unison between kingdoms. We haven’t much time” Ludwig murmured.

Feliciano looked at Ludwig warmly and kissed his cheek. “Ludwig…I was so scared of being mated with an Alpha…I was so worried the one who I’d lose my virginity to would be unloving and would only care about conquering…Ludwig, I’m happy to have met you” Feliciano whispered shakily, a thin trail of tears started to form on his cheeks, “I think nonno will be happy to meet you” Ludwig returned the kisses, tenderly pressing his lips against Feliciano’s and stroking his cheek ever so softly. “Feliciano. We need to have a course of action now. The attack will land at midnight tomorrow. Feli, return to the palace and declare our love, let King Roma know of the attack, also. Our love will stop a war, Feliciano” Ludwig instructed calmly, he shuffled his weight a little, groaning as his length moved a little inside Feliciano, “C-can you…? Ah…I think I’m loose enough now. Try moving” Feliciano licked his lips and nodded, attempting to pull Ludwig out. It was true, his swell had died down drastically and it was now possible for it to slide out without too much difficulty. The feeling of fullness suddenly leaving Feliciano’s system was replaced with a new feeling: the feeling of his seed leaking down his thighs. Feliciano grimaced at the feeling and pulled up his cold, wet pants discarded to the floor of the cave.

“Ludwig, can I borrow your shirt? I tore mine off and I need to be dressed when entering the kingdom steps” Feliciano whimpered as the cold pants pasted back against his skin and his body shivered. Ludwig nodded and held out his shirt. Feliciano slipped on Ludwig’s shirt easily; very easily. It was far too big for his tiny body and almost resembled a tunic more than a shirt, but Feliciano couldn't care less. “Okay, Luddy. Stay right here, I’ll be right back!” Feliciano instructed, after buttoning his shirt. Ludwig waved a dismissing hand and focused his attention on putting his pants back on as Feliciano ran to Bella. To Feliciano’s luck, the rain had stopped completely.

Without hesitation, Feliciano untied Bella, swung his leg over her back and cracked the reins to make Bella sprint back to the kingdom. _Our love will stop a war;_ Feliciano repeated the same phrase over and over in his mind as the trees sliced past his vision. _Our love will stop a war._


	8. Chapter 8

The townsfolk all looked at Feliciano as if he had lost his mind. A silly Omega on heat, that’s all it was. Those who were casually walking down the street saw Bella thundering down towards the palace gates were forced to leap away from the course of Bella and Feliciano. Before Feliciano could reach the palace steps, two of the royal guards ceased Bella as she bucked and whinnied in shock. “FELICIANO VARGAS! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE, YOUNG MAN!” a booming voice rang across the courtyard. Feliciano panned his eyes up the stairs to where King Roma stood shakily, supporting himself with his cane through grit teeth. “Nonno! Let me explain!” Feliciano cried, yanking the reins to regain control of Bella.

“What is there to explain?! You escape from your room in heat! Don’t you understand how dangerous that is!? Especially for the title of a royal! I-I was so worried for you, Feliciano! I don’t want to lose another grandson…” King Roma shouted down the stairs. The guards let go of Bella once she had calmed down, allowing Feliciano to slip down her back with ease and run up the staircase, hugging his grandfather tightly. “I know Nonno, Mio Dio, I know….b-but…that’s why I came back…I’m…I-I’m…” He paused through his small sentence when King Roma abruptly stopped and took a deep whiff of Feliciano’s clothes. “….Feliciano….this smell….you’ve been claimed, haven’t you?” King Roma asked quietly, pulling away from the hug.

Feliciano felt the shame in his throat building up, with sweaty palms he nodded guiltily. “S-Si…Please don’t be mad, Nonno. I love him! I love him so much! B-But…you told me I can’t marry anybody with a disability…I’ll die without him Nonno! I just-“ “What sort of disability, Feliciano?” “He lost his leg when training to be a knight-“ “Oh, I see! I had only meant disabilities that would impair your chances of fertility! An ex-knight, huh? We shall meet him immediately! I’m so proud of you, Feliciano, I understand this was not an easy decision to make. When your brother left us so soon…I was worried when you had left too, I was convinced history was repeating itself-“ King Roma paused and hugged Feliciano tightly, tighter than Feliciano had ever felt in his life. “…I would love for you to meet him, Nonno…but…there’s still some things I still need to tell you. Important things. Please listen” Feliciano gasped through the hug that crushed his ribs. King Roma pulled away immediately and sat up. “Of course! You looked a little scared when you ran in. Let’s go inside”

Feliciano had never seen his grandfather’s face change expressions in such a short span of time. He shakily explained of the attack that was to come, of Ludwig’s location and as if to lighten the mood, stories of their times together. “…Our kingdom doesn’t have a sustainable amount of weaponry to support us in this fight. The Germanic kingdom are bountiful with weapons and your blacksmithing lover never did supply us with a good amount of swords and shields…What did you say his name was again?” King Roma murmured seriously, leaning intently to hear Feliciano’s response. Feliciano fidgeted with his shirt…Ludwig’s shirt…

”His name is Ludwig Beilschmidt. And…he was once the first in line to the throne in the Germanic kingdom” Feliciano replied gingerly. Once again, King Roma’s expression shifted; however, to Feliciano’s relief, his face shifted into one of pure joy. “Oh Mio Dio, Feli! We’ve hit gold! You’ve established a strong, loving relationship with the prince of THE Germanic kingdom?! Finally! This kingdom will no longer be in such a horrible state of economy!” King Roma cheered, giving Feliciano a solid punch on the shoulder with a large smile. Feliciano gave a weak laugh and looked away. “Aha…he’s in trouble right now…We need to collect him. His leg, his prosthetic leg, snapped and stabbed him in the thigh. We ran into a cave and stayed there, when we decided we were going to run away…the attack’s happening tomorrow, Nonno! What are we going to do?” Feliciano asked fearfully.

King Roma ran a hand through his hair and looked into Feliciano’s scared eyes. “Don’t worry. When they arrive, I will explain the situation and will offer a peace treaty. Their prince and ours…in a union between kingdoms…they wouldn’t want to give up on the riches that could be created from this situation” King Roma assured, “For now…YAO!” Yao came bounding in from the other room with a scroll in his hands. “Your highness! What may I do for you?” Yao asked quickly. “Organize a knight party of five to assist Feliciano in collecting his fiancé. After you do so, I will require your services in formulating a peace treaty form in the language of the Germanic kingdom” King Roma instructed calmly, standing up on shaky legs and letting out a string of ghastly coughs.

Yao bowed quickly and sprinted in the direction of the knight training grounds opposite from the palace gardens. “Follow him, Feliciano. You needn’t worry about here; I will handle the battle that’s yet to begin” King Roma spoke hoarsely. Feliciano nodded anxiously, like there was a fear that had settled in his gut for the outcome of the future. What would happen if the Germanic kingdom wasn’t approving of their love? He swallowed the lump in his throat and chased after Yao without hesitance.

The knights resembled horses in the sense their muscles looked as powerful as a stallion’s and their strength could probably outmatch that of a whole fleet of the palace’s finest steeds. Yao had randomly chosen five of the most powerful soldiers and lined them in a long row, awaiting orders. “Your highness, I would like to introduce our party on this mission” Yao spoke with a small huff of impatience. A man who scouted a white and red mask took a step forward; he was well built and had an aura of strength emanating from the faint smell he produced.

“Your highness, my name is Sadik. While I am trained for combat, I am also a battle medic and I will devote myself entirely to assist you on this mission” He said with a loud voice. His accent was thick, it almost sounded like it had originally been derived from a lost language. Sadik stepped back and proudly bowed to Feliciano before the next man stepped forwards. A man with hazel hair, who Feliciano could have sworn didn’t sleep enough, or had slept a tad too much judging by his tired expression alone, stepped forwards.

“Your Highness…I-“ The man paused briefly to yawn and stretched a little, “My apologies, your highness. My name is Heracles. I am the party’s assistant battle medic, should Sadik be killed recklessly. I will do what I can to help you” He gave another yawn before stepping back and closing his eyes slowly. Feliciano was humoured by this man, continuously yawning and never seeming to stay awake longer than five seconds at a time.

The next man stepped forwards proudly, strutted up to Feliciano and shook his hand eagerly and gave an exaggerated curtsy. “G’day! Name’s Jett! I’m one of the main party members, if you need anybody to fight for ya, I’m your guy!” He introduced himself so casually. The man had brown hair and an accent that didn’t sound too far off from Arthur’s the last time he was in the palace.

Jett walked back and gave a friendly shoulder punch to the man next to him, whose hair almost looked uncannily similar if only he didn’t have honey blonde hair. While this man didn’t make a huge show of strutting up and shaking Feliciano’s hand, he certainly had a cocky nature to him. “Sup! I’m Alfred! I’m the head of this party. It’s my job to stop you from getting hurt or dying. You can relax your pretty little head on this one, the hero has you covered!” He laughed ecstatically, placing a hand on Feliciano’s shoulder and walking back.

There was just one last person to be introduced to him, a man who outmatched the entire party in size and build, with silver hair and a large nose. Feliciano couldn’t help but notice how Yao had started to fidget with his robes when this man gave him a glance. “Privet, your highness, and hello to you too, Yao” The man gave a warm glance to Yao, who blushed in return and looked away, “My name is Ivan. I am the second in command, in case Alfred was to fall. Hopefully, that will not happen and we will have a safe trip. I will fight for you and will devote myself only to you…and Yao” Yao bristled in his place and cleared his throat hastily. “Aha, yes! So, here is your team, now, I need to help King Roma. Good bye and good luck!” Yao trailed off, speeding away the other direction and leaving Feliciano with his party.

“…So! Where’s your man? How long has this been a thing?” Alfred asked eagerly. Feliciano blushed and fidgeted in his place. “Ehe…he’s in the woods, in a cave. I-I’ll lead you there. So! As your prince! I command all of you to round up your horses and follow me! First I need to get Bella-“ “I will get her for you, your highness, Sadik and I share a horse” Heracles cut in, giving a bow before dashing towards the stables. Alfred, Ivan, Sadik and Jett scattered from their places, running to grab their horse riding gear as Heracles led Bella back to Feliciano. As he jumped onto Bella’s back once again, the rest of his party did not take long to be by his side with a wooden carriage and their horses, in an array of different colours.

Jett stopped his mare next to Feliciano’s and eyed down the pathetic sword that dangled at the saddle. He rolled his eyes and pulled out the sword inside it’s sheath hung lazily from his own saddle comparing the sizes. “That’s a small knife you’ve got there, son. Take mine. I will ride beside you so if anybody shoots us through the trees, it will likely get me instead” Jett murmured perhaps a tad too grimly. Feliciano snapped Bella’s reins, starting her up in a sprint and prompting the others to do the same. “Why do you need to protect me? It’s not like anybody is going to kill us!” Feliciano cried over the sound of hooves thundering against the cobblestones as they passed the charcoal pile that was once Ludwig’s home.

“The Germanics are unpredictable, hey? They’re likely to do a few attacks before the attack tomorrow” Sadik yelled above the noise, Heracles gripping onto the saddle behind him and agreed with a nod. “Which is why we need to be prepared for any possible attack that could happen” Ivan added, his wooden bow bounced up and down his back as his horse galloped. Alfred snapped the reins of his steed to speed up next to Jett and Feliciano. “So Feliciano, how long has this been a thing? Rumor in the palace is that you were really against getting a mate! Did the sex convince you otherwise?” Alfred joked as his sheathed sword bounced against his back as they galloped through the woods. Feliciano looked away bashfully and cleared his throat. What a story to tell!

It was just such a shame the story was cut short, when they found the cave hidden between the trees. Feliciano steered Bella through the trees carefully, as if he were worried Ludwig had crawled through the splits of the trees and was waiting to be stepped on by the palace’s horses. He was relieved however, to find Ludwig leaned back against the cold walls of the cave. His mouth twitched up in a smile as he waved and he let out the longest sigh of relief.

“Feli, you’re here…you actually came back for me”

Feliciano sprinted to Ludwig’s side and held onto his hand lovingly, his gaze grew blank when he saw the state of Ludwig’s injured leg. The veins surrounding the wound had gone dark and noticeable, the clammy skin resembled milk and the wound had noticeably swollen with pus just by looking at the bandage, now stained red and yellow. “…Ludwig, it’s gotten worse, amore. We need to get you home and fix it up right away! I was only gone an hour or two, how did you mess it up so badly?” Feliciano asked shakily. Ludwig shifted his weight, which prompted the swollen wound to produce rancid smelling pus that rolled down his thigh.

“…I attempted to drag myself to a closer location for you to collect me, but it seems the dirt  didn’t react well to the wound” Ludwig explained, grimacing at the sight of his gaping wound hidden behind Feliciano’s makeshift bandage made from his shirt. Sadik and Heracles stopped their horse in front of Ludwig and both grimaced at the sight. “Good god, that’s the biggest pus festival I’ve ever seen!” Sadik boomed loudly. He pulled out a small satchel at his side and knelt down next to Ludwig lying helplessly on the ground. Heracles promptly joined him with a small wooden box filled with bandages at his side tucked in his trouser pants.

“….I’m not going to lie….you made a bad decision to drag your wound across the ground like that…” Heracles murmured as he examined the bandages made from Feliciano’s shirt. Everyone looked at each other anxiously; all knowing they needed to pull off the makeshift bandage eventually, but all of them being too disgusted to do so. “Okay, Lud. We’re going to treat you now. Don’t complain or snap at us, we’re just doing our jobs” Sadik explained, opening the satchel.

Ludwig winced a little at the sight of all the instruments spread in front of him. There was a jar full of salt, an unknown clear substance, several clean rags, a needle and thread and a block of wood. Judging by the frightened look on Feliciano’s face, Ludwig knew what was going to happen next. “Ludwig. We’ll need you to bite down on this please” Heracles asked calmly, holding the block of wood to Ludwig’s mouth. Feliciano held onto Ludwig’s hand in caution, he had caught wind to what was about to happen. Ludwig did as he was told, taking the wood into his mouth and gripping it tightly between his teeth.

“Good. Now, let’s see this….” Sadik murmured, slowly peeling away the bandage and retching at the smell it produced. The wound itself was far worse, Feliciano couldn’t believe how brave Ludwig must have been. His expression didn’t change at all, however, if anything, he seemed content the bandage was now off. Heracles inexplicitly came to Ludwig and held him down lightly, gripping his shoulders and nodding to Sadik, who opened the jar of salt. “The veins are infected, we need to rub salt into the wound to fight off the bacteria now” Sadik explained, opening the jar.

Sadik took one of the rags and began to slowly smooth over Ludwig’s wound, causing him to flinch a little at the feeling of pus and blood making an appearance once again and rolling down the wound. Feliciano flinched a little at the groan Ludwig had made with the wood between his teeth; his back arched a little but was pushed down once again by Heracles.

“L-Ludwig…I thought you said you couldn’t feel in that leg…I thought you couldn’t feel any pain…” Feliciano asked shakily. Ludwig shook his head slowly as the harsh breaths came from his nose and he tilted his head back. Sadik then dipped the rag in the jar of salt and hesitated a little. “Feli, he’s a big guy, sorry to ask but can you help my partner keep him down? Cheers” Sadik asked quickly before he quickly sunk the salted rag into the wound, prompting Ludwig to scream and writhe in agony behind the wooden block. Heracles was having trouble keeping him down and Feliciano could see he was in so much pain. Feliciano slithered in between Heracles and Ludwig, using his weight to press him down against the ground.

“Shhh shhh, Ludwig, you’re so brave, Ludwig…the most bravest of them all…it’s okay, Ludwig~” Feliciano cooed. Ludwig took a quick glance behind Feliciano and spotted Sadik readying the sewing needle and let out a smothered wail of helplessness. “Ludwig, you’re going to be okay! It’s going to be alright!” Feliciano hummed once again. Ludwig didn’t seem convinced however, he was trembling in fear with tears prickling in his eyes. As soon as he felt Sadik thread the needle into his skin, he cried out again and began to writhe in pain. “Feliciano. Take his mind off it. We need to stop him from moving” Heracles instructed calmly. He looked around for anything to talk about. Anything to distract Ludwig from this painful procedure.

“I-I never mentioned how my Nonno reacted to hearing the news” Feliciano began. Ludwig stopped the severity of the movements and looked it him with glossy, panicked, yet interested eyes. “H-he loved it! He’s so excited to meet you! A-and, we’re going to hold a big party with lots of food when we get home! So much pizza, pasta and tiramisu. So much that it could feed the entire kingdom! Just for us!” Feliciano spoke cheerily as Sadik worked. He briefly checked behind him to find Sadik had finished stitching the wound and was now dressing it up tightly with a bandage. “It’s going to be amazing, Ludwig! Not to mention we’ll be able to get you a stronger, better leg than that old rusty one you had. Heck, maybe you’ll get one made of gold now!” Feliciano continued shakily.

Heracles took one look behind his shoulder and let go of Ludwig. “Okay, Ludwig, I’m going to take out the wood now” he murmured calmly, bringing his hand to the block of wood clenched between Ludwig’s teeth. Ludwig obliged and let out a few breaths once the air could finally hit his tongue once again.

“…Danke. I’m sorry if I caused you too much trouble” Ludwig spoke hoarsely, examining his fresh bandage, “It was just so painful. It aches, but it had to be done” Sadik stood up and walked to his patient steed. Hanging from the saddle was a stretcher. Ludwig and Feliciano watched as Sadik unhooked the stretcher in his strong grip and laid it down gently in front of Ludwig. “The wound is deep. You’re going to need about….” Sadik scratched the back of his neck and looked around before answering, “I’d say about three weeks of rest. You can’t walk on that leg for a while, at least not until that wound’s sealed up. This includes the trip back” Heracles cleared his throat dismissively. “You will probably have to dress it every two days and clean it” He mumbled tiredly, “it’s very infected” Ludwig nodded and shuffled his weight a little at this news.

“Okay Ludwig, get ready, we’re going to drag you onto the stretcher now. So, don’t thrash around like in the operation, okay?” Heracles instructed calmly, “Lay on your back” Ludwig nodded calmly and did as he told, wincing a little as Sadik lifted one side of him up and dropped him on the stretcher while Heracles pushed his body further onto the material of the stretcher. “Well that was easy!” Sadik booming laughter erupted as he gave his patient a friendly punch. Heracles rolled his eyes and took one end of the stretcher as Sadik took the other side. “You’re so brave, Ludwig!” Feliciano cried happily, bouncing behind Sadik and Heracles lifted Ludwig up and began walking slowly through the trees again. “Danke, Feli. For what you did back there” Ludwig murmured quietly as Heracles and Sadik carried his body towards the wooden carriage, where Jett, Alfred and Ivan stayed put.

“It’s fine, really! My Nonno used to do it to me when I had a dislocated arm once. I remember they had to pop it back in place and I was so scared. So Nonno sat and held me and told me stories as they tried to put it back in. It was really scary, but it helped, so I thought it would work with you, too!” Feliciano explained as he led Bella by her reins. “You guys done? It took a while!” Alfred complained with a groan. Sadik and Heracles didn’t say anything, instead lifted Ludwig into the wooden carriage and dusted off their hands.

“This carriage is bound to be bumpy. Feliciano, could you stay in there with Ludwig? Heracles will take your mare for the ride back. Your man looks rather shaken up” Sadik chuckled heartily. Ivan looked over Alfred’s shoulder interestingly at the German man laid inside the wooden carrier and gave each other a sly smile. “Yo, I didn’t realize you were into big, buff guys, Feli! Would’ve thought you’d be after the fancy, prim and proper dudes back in the Nordic kingdom” Alfred snorted, give Feliciano a pat on the back. Ludwig worked up a small smirk and looked up at Alfred and Ivan cheekily. “I’m from the Germanic kingdom. Would that make me snobby to your kingdom’s standards?” Ludwig stuttered through a smirk. In that second, Alfred and Ivan’s expressions shifted to a look of awe.

“What? You are from the Germanic kingdom?!” “Dude, DUDE! Is it true you guys season your meat with gold? That’s so cool!” Alfred butted in. Jett cleared his throat and placed a hand on their shoulders. “Our medics are ready, mate. We need to get back, yeah? These woods give me the creeps at night. You never know what’s lurkin’ round here” Jett instructed. Alfred and Ivan nodded and walked away, leaving Feliciano and Ludwig inside the carriage. “Right, we’re off now. Your highness, make sure Lud doesn’t bump around too much, okay?” Jett mumbled, his voice trailing off as he walked to the front of the carriage and climbed onto the seat behind his steed pulling the carriage.

“Ludwig…we’re finally going home…everything is going to be fine…!” “Feli…what should I wear when meeting your grandfather?” Feliciano bit his lip and snickered a little, “if Nonno could stand me wearing your oversized, charcoal stained shirt, I think he can handle meeting you shirtless”


	9. Chapter 9

The dawn’s light sliced through the trees and the cart bumped and rocked against the cobblestones of the gravel under the wheels. Everyone had been on guard when the sun had slowly raised and illuminated the dew from the storms before. Feliciano looked down at Ludwig lovingly; his eyebrows were knitted together in concentration even in his dreams. The journey back went rather smoothly, minus Ludwig’s complaining of the stinging in his thigh. Eventually, with a little bit of convincing, Feliciano had somehow coaxed him into falling asleep. He looked awfully tired and yet so on edge discussing what was to happen next, anxiously.

Sadik had slowed down his steed to trail behind the opening of the carriage to instruct Feliciano to let him sleep because “The big guy went through a lot in one night, ay? Let him rest”. Personally, he himself couldn’t sleep. What was going to happen today? The Germanic Kingdom was going to start a war with his own kingdom. He silently prayed his grandfather was alright dealing with the uproar of his people in response to the news.

 _Thunk!_ Feliciano screamed when a sharp pain sliced through his arm. He barely had time to register what was happening when a chorus of distressed whinnies and shouts came outside the carriage. “We’re under attack mates! Protect the prince!” Jett’s voice shouted from outside. Feliciano shakily looked to his arm, where the tip of an arrow had gone through the wood of the carriage and buried itself just under the skin of his arm. Any more to the left and Feliciano would have to pull an arrow out the middle of his arm.

“L-Ludwig! Ludwig! Wake up, please! Ludwig!” He cried desperately, shaking Ludwig back and forth in desperation. The hissing of arrows and shouts of surprise filled the outside of the carriage. He watched in fear as several arrow heads burst through the wood of the carriage roof. His eyes snapped open within seconds, jolting himself to sit up. “Feli! What’s wrong?!” Ludwig cried above the noise. He let out a gasp of horror when he glimpsed at the red slowly staining Feliciano’s upper arm. Although it only just grazed itself, the arrow had embedded itself in the edge of Feliciano’s arm.

“L-Ludwig! I’m scared! We’re under attack! What are we going to do?!” He cried desperately, scrunching up his face and crying helplessly as he tried to pull himself out of the arrow. There was a thunderous cry of pain made by man; then a loud thud and an agonized whine with strings of curses attached to it. The sound of Bella’s cry alerted Feliciano to her dispatching from the group. Ludwig grabbed Feliciano and held onto him tightly as the carriage began to veer off the road and tumble down the hill, smashing against the trees and stones as it descended down the steep forest floor.

Even through the course of the fall, Ludwig never let go of Feliciano, trying to desperately to unhook the arrow head from Feliciano’s body, to no avail. His grip slipped halfway down the hill and his skull hit the back of the carriage. Everything went black.

There was a dull pain. A pain that seemed to grow worse and worse the more Feliciano regained his conscious. He wished he hadn’t. The arrow head in his arm had slipped in deeper and was now embedded through his arm during the fall. When he looked at his hip, another had pierced through the soft skin. The worst one of them all was in Feliciano’s foot, which, to his horror, was now devoid of feeling in the two middle toes and replaced with an arrow head, sticking out of his boot. Ludwig was in the corner of the carriage, now flipped on its side, with several gashes to the chest and face, but nothing too severe. Being pinned to the wall in the first place, it was Feliciano that took the brunt of the attacks.

“…You’re awake, Liebe” Ludwig cooed weakly, wiping some of the blood from his own cheek and looking up sadly. Feliciano nodded and whined pathetically against the wall of the carriage, hissing in pain as he attempted to pull himself out. “Shh, shh…Feli…it’s going to be alright” “Ludwig…I can’t feel my toes!” Feliciano shivered and started to cry softly, gasping for air as he lifted his left arm to wipe the tears from his eyes. “I know, Feli. I know. It hurts. You’re scared. I am too. They haven’t found us yet, but they will. Und I don’t think they will give us mercy. Unless we run now, Feli. We need to take you home. We’re not too far off from the kingdom, right? We can still make it to get some help” Ludwig murmured, cupping Feliciano’s bruised and gashed face.

Feliciano swallowed and let a few shaky pants as tears fell heavy down his cheeks. He was child-like, but not stupid. How could he move with three arrows embedded in his body? They needed to be removed quickly. Ludwig seemed to catch on to the helplessness in Feliciano’s eyes and pulled out a knife. “Feliciano” He spoke sternly. Feliciano flinched and cried heavily. “S-Si….I-I know it needs to be done b-but…I’m so scared, Ludwig! It’s going to hurt!” He cried. Ludwig shushed and pressed a finger to Feliciano’s lips. “Shh…Feli, I will try to be gentle to you. I’m not a doctor, but I can at least remove them from your body” Ludwig tried to reassure him.

If palace life came with its benefits, it was never having to experience these sorts of situations.

Not for Feliciano. Not for Prince Feliciano Vargas of the Roman Kingdom.  

Ludwig first tried to examine the wounds, then sat back and sighed. “Feli. I’m going to cut the arrow heads off each arrow und then I’m going to pull you through so the ends of the arrow are stuck in the wall. You’ll be free, Feli. But…I need you to be very quiet for me, okay? We can’t alert anyone to our location. I’m going to start cutting the heads off now…” Ludwig informed calmly. He gave an anxious swallow and began to saw away at the length of the arrow embedded in Feliciano’s arm with the dagger, wincing at the soft whines coming from Feliciano as the arrow wriggled in its place and blood began to bubble around the wound.

“L-Ludwig…! A-Argh…!” Feliciano gasped out, sinking his nails into wood of the carriage. “Shhh…Shhhh Feli….You’re so brave for doing this, Feli…I won’t take too long. It will be over soon, please, endure it” Ludwig cooed quietly, focused on the arrows in front of him. He let out a long sigh of relief when the arrow head snapped off and was discarded into the corner of the makeshift room. “Okay Feli, try pulling your arm through…” Ludwig instructed quietly. Feliciano nodded and let out a smothered wail as he pulled his arm through, like thread through the eye of a needle. He took a moment to calm down, both their faces were as pale as milk as the watched the blood roll down his arm. “…Feli…do you think we can continue? It’s the only way we’re going to get you out safely…”

“Ludwig” Ludwig looked up at saw Feliciano’s shining eyes staring back at him with understanding. “….Ja. You’re right. Less talking und more helping. Okay. I’m going to try taking the boot away now. I…perhaps you should look away for this one…” Ludwig murmured breathily. Feliciano nodded, biting his lip and resting his head against the wall, awaiting the inevitable. The boot itself was still in good condition, minus the blood covered arrowhead sticking up through the thick material. Ludwig was fearing this extraction the most, as he was able to see the damage on the last one, but now there was a risk of Feliciano’s toes being completely taken off. It was very close to the tip of the boot, after all. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he took the knife and started to saw as much as he could of the boot, shushing Feliciano as he whined and clawed against the wood again.

He wish he hadn’t. Gott he wish he hadn’t. Peeling away the material, all of Ludwig’s fears came true. Feliciano let out a horrified wail at the sight before him; his face went ghostly white. Feliciano couldn’t help it as he vomited over his shoulder, hacking up the bile in his stomach with gasps and cries of absolute horror.

His big toe and two end toes were the only ones still intact on his foot; squashed between his foot and his heel laid the two middle toes, bloodied and pale. Ludwig felt a tight twisting in his stomach. Don’t be sick; Gott, please don’t be sick! “Feli! Please try to calm down. I know this is very shocking to you-“ “I can’t do this, Ludwig! My toes, Ludwig! Mio Dio, I lost my toes!” “FELICIANO!” Ludwig didn’t want to have to yell at his frightened mate, but it seemed to calm him down enough to get him to listen. “We need to be quiet remember?” Ludwig reminded quietly. Feliciano panted and nodded breathlessly. “S-Si…I-I’m just so…” “Ja. I know, Feli. I had a similar reaction the day I lost my leg. It’s okay. I wouldn’t blame you for feeling startled” Ludwig murmured, gently taking Feliciano’s foot and moving it away from the arrow stuck in the wood. Thankfully, it had only stuck itself to Feliciano’s boot, now cut away with the dagger; Ludwig was more disturbed by the fact it had cleaned off Feliciano’s toes with one shot.

The only arrow that remained was stuck in Feliciano’s hip, only on the edge of his skin. Ludwig carefully sawed away at the arrow head once more, cooing soft encouragements to Feliciano as he did his work. Once the arrow had snapped off, he opened his arms. “Okay Feli, pull yourself free. I will catch you” Ludwig instructed. Feliciano gave a shuddering breath and groaned as his body shuddered away from the arrow’s pole. He let out a low whine and a sigh and fell into his arms, crying softly into Ludwig’s shoulder. “Ludwig…it hurts…it hurts so much…w-will I be able to walk still with this foot?” Feliciano whispered shakily. He didn’t know what to say.

The future was uncertain to Ludwig; he slowly caressed the tears from Feliciano’s cheeks away and kissed his forehead. “Even if you couldn’t, I will make you a prosthetic. Once far sturdier than the one I had owned before. I will weld it with more and more metal…I will fix it, improve it, modify it…I will show you even if you lose your foot, it isn’t at all that bad. Because I will be there to support you after a lifetime of receiving no support at all” Ludwig whispered into Feliciano’s hair.

His words seemed to melt into his core and dry the tears from his eyes. “There is a chance you won’t need to lose your foot, Feliciano. You still have your big toe. That balances you when you walk and prevents you from wobbling everywhere. You will be fine” Ludwig murmured, placing a kiss to Feliciano’s neck and chin. “Oh Ludwig…I hope that will be the truth…” He replied in response, looking up through the slithers of light that illuminated their cabin in the moonlight. Their time to calm down was brief however, because the sound of feet scuffling towards them made them both jump in their place.

“Prince Feliciano Vargas of the Roman kingdom! This is a kidnapping! You’re coming with us now! Resistance is futile!” A woman’s voice yelled from outside the cabin. Feliciano and Ludwig looked at each other fearfully.

“Stay quiet…play dead, Feliciano…I will handle them”

“Ludwig!”

“Please, Feli. Just do this for your safety”

“WE’RE INSIDE! PLEASE DON’T SHOOT US!” Feliciano shrieked. The sound of footsteps came closer until the source of the noise stood a few inches away from their carriage entrance. A woman with strawberry blonde hair, decked in the Germanic kingdom’s armour stood poised with an arrow in her bow, pointing directly to Feliciano. “Don’t make any sudden movements. If you value your life, you will come with me without a fuss. –And you!” She pointed her arrow to Ludwig, but lowered it slightly in recognition, “Well done”

Feliciano tried to stand, whining as the pain in his foot amplified and fell back down. “I-I can’t get up! I injured my foot on the way down!” Feliciano protested. The Alpha woman grabbed Feliciano and slung him over her shoulder without a fuss, rolling her eyes. “King Gilbert will send somebody for you. In the meantime, sit tight” She murmured to Ludwig before turning away. “Wait! What about Ludwig! I can’t leave without him! Please don’t separate us!” Feliciano cried, thrashing his legs around. The Alpha female did nothing but started to walk away from Ludwig laying on the floor of the cabin. “I can’t walk Feliciano. For now, we have to do what she says. I promise I will reunite with you soon! Please be brave, everything will be oka-“ his voice cut out from behind the wall of the cabin when the Germanic knight began to sprint back up the hill.

“LUDWIG!” Feliciano screamed after him. As his captive sprinted up the hill, the ground started to gradually show more evidence of a battle that had taken place. Arrows littered the floor of the forest. Then the blood. Then the horses corpses, piled off to the left.

And then…the bodies of his guards.

Ivan, Jett and Alfred lay sprawled like ragdolls against the floor, their blood coloring the soil of the forest. Feliciano stared at them with a horrified expression; they resembled a big pile of pin cushions shamelessly dumped near their fallen steeds. Beside the pile of bodies were the rest of his captives, all of them scouted their kingdom’s emblem. “Basch. Tie him up” She commanded, dropping Feliciano onto the ground. A boy with a blonde bob of hair and a grumpy expression came from behind and forced Feliciano to the ground, tying up his hands behind his back.

“Move and you’re dead” He hissed, tightening the ropes. “S-Si” The woman knelt down to Feliciano and lifted his head up. “My name is Elizabeta. I am under orders by King Gilbert to take you to our kingdom. It is there, you will be held captive until the Roman kingdom submits to us and becomes our territory. All it’s lands, riches…well…what little they have of it and history…to be taken, extracted, rewritten and transformed into one under the Germanic’s rule. If they put up a fight, we will strike them down. Now. Let’s go” She muttered coldly. Feliciano winced as he was forcefully grabbed by Basch and dropped next to some familiar faces.

Sadik and Heracles were tied to a tree, covered in scrapes and cuts, both their expressions seemed to light up a little when they saw Feliciano get dropped with them. “Your majesty!” “Your highness!” Heracles suddenly gasped and coughed up blood, an arrow in his abdomen bubbling with more blood. “Hey…don’t force it, remember? We’ll get help soon” Sadik murmured to Heracles, who nodded with understanding and leaned back in pain. “Guys! What happened?! Jett…Ivan…A-Alfred….” Feliciano asked shakily. Heracles grimaced and looked down mournfully. “While we were being tied up, they tried to launch an escape when they were getting tied up” Sadik explained quietly, his once loud, booming voice was now soft and scratchy in pain, “They didn’t get far…” Sadik looked to Heracle’s abdomen, where one stray arrow stuck out proudly against his body. “…They shot Heracles to teach us a lesson. They were going to shoot me but….but this idiot….” Sadik looked away painfully. Heracles gave a small, regretful smile and looked away from Feliciano. “’This idiot’ took it for him. And now we’re here…waiting….for something to happen….” Heracles murmured weakly. “

Stay silent!” Basch hissed, kneeling beside Sadik and Heracles and slicing their ropes, “If you try to run, I’ll shoot!” Without consideration for their safety or wellbeing, Basch forced Heracles to his feet and shoved him into the back of a carriage standing idly near the tree. “OI! BE CAREFUL! He’s injured, you idiot!” Sadik roared, recoiling instantly when Elizabeta pointed an arrow in his direction. “You keep quiet!” She threatened, nodding as Basch pulled him into the carriage by his hair. Feliciano began to cry against his scraped knees pathetically. He wished for safety and freedom, but most of all, Ludwig. He let out a cry of pain as he was hoisted in Elizabeta’s strong arms and thrown into the carriage with Sadik and Heracles.

“Oi…come on now…you can’t go now. I-I know we had our fights before, but this is serious! Come on, stay awake!” Sadik whispered shakily against the limp body of Heracles. Feliciano looked down at those dull eyes staring lifelessly into the ceiling, then to the pile of his fallen soldiers that had vowed to protect him just a few hours ago. To Basch’s stern face as he clutched his arrow and bow, ready to strike at any time; To Sadik’s face as he pulled away his mask to wipe his eyes. There was nothing but chaos and devastation. Feliciano was at loss as to what to do. He slumped against the wall, hugging his knees and trying to block out the cries of anguish from his only companion left in the carriage, praying for a miracle.


	10. Chapter 10

He had never seen a man more broken in his life. Of course, Feliciano had never understood how real the pain was for the middle class when a life was lost. Every time a member of the knight’s cabinet died, he was forced to attend the funerals and give an honourable farewell, but he never felt the pain. He realized, perhaps it was because he never actually knew the fallen heroes personally. Tonight, it felt all too real. Sadik, the once booming, eccentric medic was now abruptly silent and distant. He hadn’t spoken a word since the carriage had started moving.

The rumour was true, to a degree. Feliciano peered past the ever-vigilant Basch to see the large stone cobblestones of the kingdom. It was just as Roderich had said; the flecks of gold in the stone shimmered in the sunlight as the carriage passed through the busy streets of the Germanic Kingdom. Looking at the fabulous structure of the buildings they had passed and the fashion of people passing by with disgusted glances, Feliciano had felt underdressed. “Look, Sadik! There’s gold! Real gold in the stones!” Feliciano chimed, shaking the silent, gloomy man. He didn’t respond, nor look at the pavement as the carriage rolled past a large set of gates.

“Shut up!” Basch hissed, “We’re approaching the palace grounds now! Are you a prince or aren’t you? Learn your place and stay quiet!”. Feliciano gulped and settled down, hugging his knees with a pout. “…if he stayed awake half the time…I reckon he would enjoy it too” Sadik murmured. His voice came so quietly and so devoid of hope; Feliciano wasn’t sure whether to agree or pretend he hadn’t heard a thing. He looked down sadly to Heracles cold body, continuing to stare at the ceiling. He chose the latter. The carriage abruptly rolled to a shuddering stop, the inertia causing everyone to move a little as it grinded to a halt.

“Right. You, come to me with no resistance!” Basch commanded, pointing his arrowhead in Feliciano’s direction. “Eek! Okay, okay!” He cried, shuffling out on sore legs out of the carriage with the assistance of Basch’s painfully tight grip. He closed his eyes and whimpered softly, until a sudden eccentric laugh pierced his eardrums. “Haw haw haw! What a loser!” A heavy accent boomed in front of him. Feliciano opened his eyes to see none other than an albino man, clad with golden armor and a shining a crown on his brow. This was none other than the king of the Germanic kingdom. The man who had it all, standing a few feet away from him, smirked. “No need to do a curtsy, I know I’m the best! You don’t need to show it to me” He snorted through his laughter.

Feliciano cried pathetically as both Basch and Elizabeta came from both sides and held onto him tightly, their nails sinking into his skin as the albino walked closer. “So? This is the prince of the Roman kingdom, huh?” He gave a pitying look up and down his body before sending a swift kick to the groin. Feliciano yelped in pain and fell to his knees, only to be hoisted back up by Elizabeta and Basch. “I mean…I knew they were poor but…wow. I feel like I’m talking to a farmer or something. You smell like a pig-sty and your clothes are all messed up! Sorry we can’t be more inviting to you. Cause, y’know, all that ransom business-“

“L-Ludwig…”

“Was ist das?”

“L-“ Feliciano gave a shaky heave and looked up with teary eyes, “L-Ludwig…your brother…I-I love him. P-please…please show us mercy…! We’re in love, Gilbert! We-“ A hard slap across Feliciano’s cheek and another swift kick to the groin stopped him in his sentence. “You little brat. Don’t you know not to address me with anything other than ‘Your highness’?” Gilbert hissed, grabbing Feliciano’s neck and holding him to eye-level, “I know about you tomato fucking Romans. You say you love someone, but you flirt with everyone else. You’re a tease and scum to our kingdom. Ludwig will never love you and our kingdom will never accept your lies” Feliciano gave an airy heave of breath and started to choke in king Gilbert’s grip. “Elizabeta” He spoke in a stern tone, “Take this boy to the cellars. You know what to do”

Feliciano watched Elizabeta’s face turn unusually grim before he was dropped to the floor and placed into a chokehold by Elizabeta. “W-wait! What about Sadik?!” Feliciano cried, flailing his arms towards the carriage helplessly. “Stop squirming!” Elizabeta snapped, sending a hard punch against Feliciano’s skull. Feliciano’s voice started to trail off and go weaker as his vision blackened; soon Elizabeta had to carry his unconscious body.

There was a dull flickering of candlelight that stirred Feliciano awake. There was an agonizing pounding on the side of Feliciano’s skull from a few hours prior. Feliciano groaned and lolled his head to the side, finding the cold damp stone floor greeting him. He bolted upright and looked around to find himself in a jail cell, with his injured foot chained to a large metal ball. _Drip_ Feliciano flinched at the feeling of icy cold water dripping against his back. The roof was leaking and there were puddles on the ground. So this the state of the Germanic kingdom’s prisons? A rat cleaned it’s face and looked at Feliciano with beady little eyes before scurrying away behind a wine barrel. “You’re awake”

Feliciano swung his head around to the cell opposite, where Ludwig’s bruised and battered body hid under a cloak of moonlight. “Ludwig! Ludwig!” Feliciano cried desperately, trying to pull himself closer to his cell with what little strength he had only to have the chain holding him back. “There’s no point…” Ludwig whispered quietly, resting his head back against the wall, “We’re forced to stay here until the Roman kingdom retaliates somehow”. Feliciano whined and refrained from trying to move from his place. “I-I can understand why I’m here…b-but you’re the prince! Why did they lock you here with me?” He asked shakily, hugging his knees tightly. Ludwig sighed and gave an apologetic smile. “Because I failed my mission. I didn’t kill you and instead, I fell in love with you. I jeopardised the mission for my own kingdom, therefore, I’m now a traitor” He replied, a small smile twitching on his worn out features, “But it was worth it” Feliciano’s cheeks flushed and he looked down to his foot, now with brown and black crusty flakes from where his blood had dried.

“L-Ludwig…I’m so sorry I made them capture us. I-I thought it was the best option I-“ Feliciano stopped and started to sniffle as tears ran down his cheeks suddenly, “I-I was so stupid!” Ludwig groaned and tried to drag his body across the ground to the bars. “Feli…please don’t cry like that…” Feliciano looked up to Ludwig’s face with widened eyes. Oh Mio Dio. Ludwig looked like he had aged by twenty years from the sheer exhaustion in his eyes. “Ludwig…” Feliciano whined and tried to pull himself against the ground, the heavy metal ball restricting his movement. With some difficultly, he managed to squirm to bars and curled himself against them crying softly.

“Feliciano. Take my hand” Ludwig had managed to thread his arm through the bars of the cell and was reaching out to Feliciano, grunting as he pushed his body further against the bars. Without a second’s hesitation, Feliciano pushed his own arm through. The distance between their cells was far too long, only allowing their fingertips to brush every so often if they pushed against the bars hard enough. In the moments where Feliciano’s cold fingers met with Ludwig’s warm ones, he found his heart fluttering against his chest. “Mio Dio I want to hold you, Luddy…!” Feliciano cried hopelessly against the bars. Ludwig groaned and pushed his body further against the bars, allowing his fingertips to touch Feliciano’s hand just a few millimeters further. “Feliciano…! I want to kiss away your tears, kiss away every injury on your body left until there’s nothing left to hurt. I want to hold you until you go to sleep and I want to be the one that stirs you awake again I-“

Ludwig paused and rummaged through his pocket, before tossing something into Feliciano’s cell. Feliciano pulled away and pulled himself towards the large puddle in the corner, gasping at what had landed in the middle. A ring hastily made of scrap metal, but a ring nevertheless. “Ludwig…” “I-I want to cherish and protect you forever. Whether it be as a king or as a poor blacksmith. I love you, Feliciano Vargas. All I ask of you, is for your hand” Ludwig continued shakily, watching with hopeful eyes. Feliciano took the ring with shaking hands and held it close to his chest.

“Si! S-si! I will! Mio dio, I will!” He cried, drying away his hopeless tears to replace them with happy ones. Ludwig sighed with relief and looked at Feliciano lovingly, clutching the bars eagerly, he awaited for Feliciano to put the ring on his finger then gave an odd look when Feliciano slipped it into his pocket. “Why aren’t you wearing it?” Ludwig asked, shuffling against the bars. Feliciano wiped his eyes and sighed. “I’m waiting for the day you put it on yourself, Luddy. At our wedding ceremony”

There was a sudden squeaking of a large door nearby and the thunking of boots approaching closer and closer to their cells. They regretfully pulled away and kept their distance, watching worriedly as the source of the noise stood in front of their cells. “…We have come to compromise the situation…” Gilbert spoke from the staircase. Simultaneously, Ludwig and Feliciano clutched the bars. “What’s the verdict?!” “What will happen to us?!” Gilbert looked at them both coldly and hesitated for a moment.

“N-nein…don’t tell me…YOU CAN’T SEPARATE US BRUDER! I LOVE FELICIANO, WE’VE BONDED, PLEASE! PLEASE DON’T TAKE HIM AWAY!” Ludwig screamed, shaking the bars with force. Feliciano felt his tears forcing themselves down his cheeks at a force that could flood the cellar.

Gilbert shuffled on his feet for a few moments of hesitation. “I’m sorry, Feliciano”

Feliciano felt his heart stop in his chest. This was it. He was never going to marry Ludwig. Their declaration of love wasn’t enough. His face paled dramatically. “P-please, your majesty! I-I love Ludwig so much! He’s the sun rising after a nightmare! The bountiful harvest after a cruel winter! He’s my everything, h-he’s-!”

“Alright, alright. Yeesh, I was going to say ‘I’m sorry, Feliciano, you’re going to be stuck with my lame bruder for your whole life’ but you cut in and ruined it!” Gilbert admitted with a chuckle and a poke of his tongue. Ludwig and Feliciano looked to each other with joy. Then, much to Gilbert’s dismay, they began to laugh. Then cry. Then yell for making such a cruel prank. Then cry and laugh again. Gilbert unlocked Feliciano’s cell and undid the shackle binding his foot to the metal ball that restricted him. A smirk formed on Gilbert’s face as he thought of how Feliciano resembled a loyal dog jumping on their owner after unlocking Ludwig’s cell and unshackling his chain from his foot. “Ludwig! Ludwig…! L-Ludwig…” Feliciano murmured between breathless kisses against Ludwig’s lips, holding onto him as if his life depended on it. Ludwig cupped Feliciano’s cut and bruised face with a loving smile and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Oh Feli…” Somebody cleared their throat at the entrance of the cellar making everyone’s head turn. It was King Roma! Observing Ludwig with one cocked eyebrow. “So this is your amore, Feli? The fish really jumped in the boat this time! You got yourself a very handsome warrior!” He said, followed by a booming laugh that made Ludwig crack a small smile of appreciation. “Your highness-“ “Please, Ludwig. I know what you’re going to say. I know incapable of being a warrior. But, you are a valiant knight who conquered the dragon that is my grandson’s heart. Therefore, I consider you a warrior in your own way” Ludwig’s eyes lit up, from tears or from hope? For once, Feliciano couldn’t tell. “D-danke”

At first, Feliciano had been in awe over the flecks of gold in the pavement of the kingdom. However, his view shifted dramatically as soon as his body hit the water of the bath in the guest room. He winced in pain when his injured foot was submerged in the warm water, grimacing as the blood and dirt began to dissolve into the soapy water. King Gilbert had offered them both to take a bath, exclaiming that they smelled and looked like corpses. Feliciano had wished Ludwig could have joined him in this peaceful time, but he was ushered away by Elizabeta before he had the chance to invite him. Laying on the soft bed laid a small gown with a collar laced with the Germanic kingdom’s emblem threaded with flowers and frills.

There was a small knock on the door which made Feliciano yelp in shock. With fumbling hands, he reached for the soft towels and covered what he could. “Uh, come in!” he called, watching the door. Elizabeta and Basch stepped into the room with grim, sunken faces, closing the door softly behind them. “Your highness…we have come to inform you of some news regarding your knights in battle…” Basch spoke with a scratchy voice. Elizabeta stepped forward and sighed sadly. “Out of your party of 5…2 survived the attack we recklessly performed in the midst of a political battle”

“Wait…2?” Feliciano gave Elizabeta a strange look. But…Sadik was the only one left! Who survived? “As I was taking your comrade to the western cells to be interrogated…I heard breathing and found his counterpart was still alive. But only barely” Basch explained calmly, “Our medics are doing what they can now. He received an arrow that passed through his system and punctured his spine. That man…Heracles…he has lost all feeling from the waist down. He cannot continue being a field medic. Which is why we have come to apologize and to promise this kingdom will pay back it’s worth in damages with compensation” Feliciano felt a bittersweet relief flush through his system. Heracles was alive….but at a cost.

“On a lighter note…” Elizabeta chimed in, “We have come to escort you to the drawing room, where our kingdom will discuss the arrangement of your marriage and the distribution of our lands in unity” Feliciano felt his heart soar in joy at this news, clapping his hands together with a squeal of excitement. “I-I’m so happy! Grazie~!” Feliciano blinked in confusion as Elizabeta’s and Basch’s face turned into horrified grimaces and turned away; he then released he had dropped his towel. “Yes…well. Get dressed already, then we’ll go” Basch stuttered bashfully. Feliciano nodded eagerly and slipped on the night gown, sighing as the silky material softly brushed against his bruises. “Let’s go” Elizabeta instructed, gesturing Feliciano and Basch to follow her out the door.

Never in all his years did Feliciano see so many beautiful cream coloured roses against the marble staircase with golden pillars. It was like something out of a fairy tale; a story Feliciano had always heard of, but has never been able to see for himself. His previous captives paused in front of a large white door and pushed it open revealing a small room with a fireplace and two long couches, where Ludwig, King Roma and King Gilbert all looked up at him. “Hallo, Feli…did you enjoy the guest baths?” Ludwig asked warmly.

Feliciano’s eyes panned down to Ludwig’s leg, now replaced with a much sturdier looking prosthetic than the last. “S-Si. Ludwig! Your leg!” Feliciano exclaimed, sitting in the space next to King Roma. “Ja, it isn’t much, but it will have to do for now. There’s a better leg being made for me as we speak” he replied with a small smile. King Gilbert cleared his throat and readjusted his crown impatiently. “Anyway. Now we’ve got to work out who gets what. All that crap” King Gilbert cut in, crossing his legs. Feliciano gave him a baffled look, unsure as to how to comprehend how collected he had become about the situation. “Well, we have reached an agreement…the Roman kingdom will become a colony of the Germanic kingdom. We will exchange our farming produce, lands and services in exchange for their currency. Our lands will be ruled by Ludwig Beilschmidt and I will take the role as the advisor” King Roma explained, Feliciano could see a hint of regret for casting away his striving kingdom so easily in his eyes as he spoke, “Now…as for the wedding…we shall hold the ceremony tomorrow evening on the palace steps. We had both agreed the sooner the delusion that the kingdoms are at war is lifted, the better. Besides…I’m sure the both of you are thrilled with this news” Indeed they were.

Simultaneously, Ludwig and Feliciano looked to each other with pure joy in their eyes. “Well. That’s that then, I guess. Oh, there is this dumb scroll you have to sign, but otherwise, we’re good to go!” Gilbert replied with a clap, prompting his squire to rush to his side with a scroll of parchment in his hand. Feliciano looked up at the squire and gasped. It was Roderich! “Oh hey~! It’s Roderich! I didn’t know you worked for King Gilbert!” Feliciano exclaimed innocently.

Roderich handed the scroll and sheepishly cleared his throat, “I am also the royal tailor and I will be providing your wedding robes-“ he gave a sharp look, “-I found my last corset I made for you beside a hedge outside the palace gardens yesterday…Feliciano, if I find my work shamelessly tossed and torn on the ground like that again I will ensure I will only provide jester costumes as your wardrobe for the next decade!” Gilbert and King Roma snorted a little under their breath and began signing the peace treaty in front of them. “What are you talking about, Roddy? Your clothes always look like jester outfits!” King Gilbert sneered, handing the scroll back to Roderich. The hall suddenly burst with eruptive laughter as Roderich briskly walked out the room with a scowl.

For once, everything was at peace in Feliciano’s upside down life. He stood in front of the mirror, admiring his crisp white robes, embroidered with red thread with the Roman kingdom’s emblem with a red shawl draped over his shoulders. These were the fanciest, and loosest clothes Feliciano had ever worn in such a long time. There was a knock on his door that interrupted him from his thoughts. “Prince Feliciano? It’s time. Are you ready?” King Gilbert’s voice came muffled outside the door. Feliciano hurriedly opened and closed the door, gasping at Gilbert’s fancy shining armour and nodding nervously. “S-si. I’ve never felt more ready!” He replied shakily. Gilbert hooked his arm around Feliciano’s and began to walk formally, his cape flowing behind him gracefully.

As they came closer and closer to the palace steps, the sound of hundreds of people conversing then abruptly going silent as an organ bellowed a joyous tune made Feliciano’s stomach twist in anxious knots. Gilbert opened the door, smiling proudly at the inhabitants from the Roman and Germanic kingdom alike cheering thunderously as they smiled and waved on the palace steps. Just a meter away, King Roma and Ludwig stood proudly, if not anxiously awaiting them to descend the staircase.

Mio Dio, Ludwig looked incredible, in his own set of armour similar to Gilbert’s. He slowly walked to him and held his hand excitedly, tears streaming down their faces as King Roma and King Gilbert stood on a podium before them and drew their swords. “Today- is a special day. A day where the mountains and the lands unite into one glorious kingdom. The day the people unite in a strong alliance that will strive through the ends of time. And-“ King Roma looked down at Feliciano and Ludwig, now on their knees, “-Today, is the day Alpha and Omega unite as one, bonded through the strength of love” Gilbert lightly placed the tip of his sword against Feliciano’s shoulders and held a gently placed a crown on his brow.

“Omega Prince, Feliciano Vargas. With this crown, you will rule this land alongside us…uh…” Gilbert squinted at the scroll in his hands and rolled his eyes, “And you get to stay with Ludwig forever. Do you accept?” “Si! Si, I do!” With that, Feliciano stood up and turned to Ludwig, still crouched on the ground. “-And you, Alpha Prince, Ludwig Beilschmidt. With this crown, you will promptly rule as king to our kingdom. You will be the voice of our kingdom. You will weep when our knights die. You will cheer when we feel our successes….You will care for my grandson during the worst of times….Do you accept?” “Ja. I will take that responsibility and lead this kingdom to glory…” Ludwig flinched a little at the feeling of the sword gently tapping both shoulders and a beautiful golden crown being placed on his forehead.

“And finally…the final vows. I will leave them to you”

Ludwig looked at Feliciano and hesitated, giving a shaky breath with a smile. “O-oh…so…this how it ended? To this day, I refuse to believe I was sent to kill you. I refuse to deny my feeling any longer. Feliciano Vargas…I promise, as your Alpha, to protect and cherish you through every trial and success. You and I will live in victory for as long as we stay united. So please…” Ludwig pulled out a small ring and held it to his eye level, “Will you accept this ring, and rule with me?”

Shakily, Feliciano took the ring in his hands, crying softly as he nodded his head vigorously. “Si! Si, I will, Ludwig! I will!” Feliciano cried. Ludwig smirked with teary eyes and slipped the ring on his finger, holding his hand and giving a reassuring squeeze. “Ludwig Beilschmidt, Feliciano Vargas, you may now seal this vow with a kiss” Ludwig wasted no time in mashing his mouth against Feliciano’s, melting into the kiss as the crowd cheered and screamed in happiness for the new couple.

 

….

“Luddy?”

“Mm?”

Feliciano sat down on the edge of the bed, sighing softly and hugging his knees. The sunlight slowly began to rise from the hill beyond the palace gardens, the frozen air of dawn nipping against Feliciano’s skin. “I have a secret I need to tell you”

“A secret…?” Ludwig murmured tiredly in response, sitting up and yawning, “You can tell me anything, liebling. What are you worrying about?”

Feliciano hesitated for a moment and placed a hand to his stomach. “It’s just…my last heat was a while ago…a-and I woke up feeling sick…”

Ludwig sat upright and placed a hand over his. “…Feliciano? Are you suggesting…?”

“Si…Ludwig, I think I’m pregnant….”

Ludwig gave a tired, hazy smile and kissed Feliciano passionately. “Mm, that’s all? No stories of secretly being the prince? No false names? No more secrets?” He joked, kissing his lover’s abdomen and standing up.

Feliciano gave a light chuckle and kissed his Alpha in return, cupping his face with a blush.

“No more secrets”


End file.
